Runaway
by Jasper's Little Sprite
Summary: When Bella gets pregnant she runs away, not wanting to stand in way of the Edward's dreams. What will happen when they meet 5 years later? All human! -Being Edited-
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: I do not own 'Twilight' or any of its original characters. I however retain rights of this plot, and any additional characters. This applies for the whole story.**

**Author's Note: This is the edited version of my previously completed story. Instead of taking it down, I've decided to wrap up editing in one week!!**

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**BPOV**

_Those were the longest three minutes of my life. Who ever knew that a hundred and eighty seconds could pass so very slowly?_

_Why three minutes, you may ask. Well, three minutes could decide my fate. Three minutes could make all the difference in my life. Three minutes could change everything forever._

_Three minutes._

_Three minutes was how long it took for a pregnancy test to complete…_

_**3 Agonizing Minutes Later**_

_Three minutes had passed. My stopwatch stood testimony to that. Yet I could not bring myself to look at the seemingly innocent stick that lay within arm's reach._

_This was the second consecutive month I had missed my period, and that was what had prompted me to by the test. I had driven all the way to Port Angeles to purchase it, lest anyone I knew saw me. Forks was a town known for its malicious gossip._

_Bracing myself, I slowly picked up the test, still avoiding looking at it._

_Cursing myself for being so cowardly I turned my head so as to see the test's result. The expression on my face must have been one of sheer terror, because what I saw was two parallel lines._

_My eyes misted over, temporarily blinding me. I rubbed my eyes, but my vision was still blurred. Blinking furiously to clear my sight, I braved another look at the stick. Two parallel lines remained, almost insolently, as if making fun of my misery._

_I knew only too well what the lines signified, but I looked at the instructions once more, just to make sure. I only learned what I had feared was the truth. Two parallel lines meant that I was pregnant._

"_No", I whispered. "This is not happening to me. This cannot be happening to me." I repeated the words over and over again like a mantra hoping fervently that somehow it would make my problems vanish._

_I was in a full fledged mode of complete and utter denial. "No", I kept saying while shaking my head. A single tear escaped from my eyes, and ran down my cheek._

"_No!"_

_**A few hours later**_

I had tried three different tests after the first one. Each was made by a different manufacturer, in the futile hope that one of them would prove the first test wrong. Instead, they only served to increase my anxiety, telling me what I desperately wished wasn't true. They had all come out positive. One test could be wrong, but what were the chances that all four were?

My denial was fast turning into panic, as reality fully set in. I _was_pregnant, and no amount of tears could change that fact.

My whole world seemed to come crashing down upon me. I was only eighteen, and I had just graduated high school. How in the world was I supposed to take care of someone else when I can hardly take care of myself?

The thought of a creature, a little human being growing inside me was a terribly frightening image. There was a little boy or girl, in my womb, who depended solely upon me for all its needs.

Strangely enough, somewhere deep within me sprouted the seeds of protectiveness. There was no way in hell that I was considering an abortion, or even giving my baby up for adoption. I had brought this baby into this world purely due to my irresponsibility, so now it was only fair that I face the consequences.

It helped my sanity to think of the baby as a real person, instead of a nuisance I wanted to get rid of.

Suddenly a new thought made its way into my already confused mind. Edward. He was my boyfriend, my first love. He was everything to me. More importantly, in the present context, he was the father of this baby. He was the only person I had ever slept with, so there was no room for doubt over the father's identity.

A strong resolution began slowly, yet surely forming in my mind. Edward would not find out this baby, not now and not ever. The same applied for Charlie, my father, though for a completely different set of reasons.

Edward was an intelligent student, to put it mildly, and he had always topped our class with ease. Even though that was not much to say, because the students who attended Forks High were not of a great number, it was clear to everyone that great things lay in store for him.

His father, Carlisle, was the head surgeon at Forks Hospital. Although Carlisle had a great job at a hospital in Chicago, he had quit it, and moved to Forks for the sake of his wife's health. Esme had been advised to move to a small town to get some 'fresh air' instead of being constantly exposed to the constant air pollution of a big city like Chicago.

Edward had been raised to believe that one day he would follow in his father's footsteps, and become a surgeon as well. He had no issues with this expectation, and was now once step closer to his dream.

He had received the official confirmation letter from one of the top medical colleges in the country around a month back. However, his joy at being accepted was diluted by his sorrow for having to leave me for the three years it would take to complete his course.

I had convinced him that this opportunity would come once in a lifetime, and he would be crazy not to tale it. If he ever found out the first thing he would do is reject the offer. You see, Edward had been raised to behave like a gentleman. One would almost think he was born in the nineteenth century. He would insist upon marrying me so as to 'protect my honor', and discard all his ambition thoughtlessly so he could stay here in Forks to help me raise the baby.

I can't just watch him throw away his dream because of me. You might be wondering why I am so willing to accept this to be my fault, and not Edward's. You see, it was my fault. I was the one who had wanted to have sex. He wanted to wait, but gave in after much persuasion.

When I had initially put forward the idea of sleeping with him, he immediately turned me down. We had a bitter fight that night. I threw in phrases like 'you would if you truly loved me' and 'don't you care about me anymore?' knowing that they would guilt him into letting me have my way. And guilt him I did. We lost our virginities to one another three days after our fight.

Our first time had been two and a half months ago. We had slept together again on two separate occasions, graduation and Edward's confirmation letter. Those three nights will be among the most memorable experiences of my life.

I was not completely naïve. I knew that I could only keep my pregnancy hidden for a few months. Edward would eventually find out, as would Charlie.

Charlie would take the news especially badly. He had always been over protective of me. This was partly attributed to the fact that he was the Police Chief of our little town, but mostly because of Renee. Renee was my mother. She had died when I was four of some lung disease. It could have been cured if detected just a few weeks earlier, and Charlie always unfairly felt responsible for her death.

He had loved her very much, but following her demise I was all he had. Charlie was not one to easily display affection. Instead he resorted to being so overly protective of me, that I wasn't even allowed to date any one. I had rebelled at the age of sixteen, when I had first met Edward. I could only imagine what his reaction would be if he ever found out about the mess I had landed myself into.

Eventually, the whole town would find out, and that was something I definitely didn't want happening. Charlie, being the Police Chief, was one of the most respected people in Forks. I could just imagine how much it would hurt him if he had to hear the constant gossip about his daughter getting 'knocked up'.

It was already hard enough on Charlie to bear with gossip that came with being a single parent ('I heard he was checking Ms Insert Name here out' or 'Did you know he's sleeping with that whore /slut /insert any other demeaning term here'). I didn't want to lay this additional burden on him.

As I lay my options before me, only one seemed to make any sense.

Call me a coward, but I felt that the only solution was to… _runaway._

**EPOV**

_Dear Edward_

_I have decided to run away. Run away from Charlie, from Forks, and from you. Please don't try to look for me. I don't want to be found. I am eighteen, so I am an adult now. Legally it is fine for me to do this, so make sure Charlie doesn't send out a search party._

_Follow your dreams Edward. Unlike me you have big dreams, and I hope they come true. Become a great surgeon, like you've always wanted. Someday when you do, know that no one will be as proud of you as I will. I have nothing but the most sincere blessings to offer you._

_The truth is I'm tired of my boring, small town life. I think I deserve some change. I'm moving on and so should you. Whatever you might believe at this point of time, you will find true love one day, Edward. I just know you will. She will be one lucky woman. I should know._

_Help Charlie stay strong, for my sake. I have written a letter for him as well, but he needs someone right now. I'm hoping that someone will be you._

_I have one final request Edward. Please don't hate me. I couldn't bear it if you did. I know this might seem an incredibly selfish thing of me to ask, and I'm sorry for that. _

_In the hope that one day you might find it in your heart to forgive me,_

_Bella_

My hands trembled as I read the letter over and over again. In fact, my whole body was shaking violently. A few blotches on the sheet of paper marked where my tears, and possibly hers, had fallen.

Why was she doing this to me? I had really loved her, and I still do. Had she fallen for someone else? That could be a possible explanation, but I thought it unlikely. Bella could never cheat on me. However, just a few hours ago, I wouldn't have believed that Bella would ever run away, but she had done it. Your perspective tends to undergo a major shift after something like that happens.

Although I always suspected myself not to be good enough for her, I had never seen this coming. We had lost our virginities to each other. We were each other's first loves. We had meant the world to one another. Obviously all of this didn't mean as much to her as it did to me. This relationship had been one sided. It hurt to think of how long she might have been leading me on.

_Flashback_

_I took in her angel like beauty, as she kissed me softy. I couldn't hold it back any longer._

"_I love you" I mumbled_

_She looked at me shocked, not sure if she had heard me correctly. I was quick to reassure her. "Don't worry if you don't feel the same way…"_

_She interrupted my nervous banter, her lips meeting mine in a passionate kiss. "I love you too Edward. I'll love you forever."_

_End Flashback_

Lies. That's what they were. God damn lies. All those sweet kisses. All the times she told me she loved me. Every touch, every word…it was all a lie.

And now that the truth had been brought out, I just couldn't handle it. And that's not even the worst of it. The most horrible part was that my love for her had not ebbed in the least.

'_Please don't hate me'_

The words rung in my head. Little did she know, I was not capable of hating her. I longed to loathe her, to despise her with every fibre of my being. It would make everything so much simpler. At least that's what my brain told me. My heart however told a whole other story.

Anger overcame me, and I ripped the letter into shreds. I instantly regretted doing it, because that letter contained Bella's last words to me. Berating myself for being so pathetic, I grabbed the keys to my car. Going for a long spin was the only thing that could help me now.

*******

Charlie had never liked me, but this incident caused us to bond. When he had finally accepted my relationship with Bella, over a year ago, he treated me like a close friend. After this, I was a son to him. We could each feel the other's pain and tried to help one another cope with it.

For the next few weeks pretended that I was okay but I don't think that I was fooling anyone. I didn't speak unless spoken to and even then I answered monosyllabically. I hardly ate and couldn't sleep well. I was miserable without her. I resolved to stop thinking about her. It would only cause me more pain.

I had to try and get over her…

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	2. Caterpillars And Unexpected Meetings

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**CATERPILLARS AND UNEXPECTED MEETINGS**

**5 years and 6 months later**

BPOV

"Mommy! Look I caught a caterpillar! Caterpillars are fun to play with. They're all weird and squiggly!" my son said holding the hideous thing between his fingers with an air of apparent fascination.

Needless to say a protest soon followed. "Eww! Ethan that's gross", chimed the high pitched voice if my best friend, Alice. "Put it down!" Alice had a hatred for bugs of all kinds. Yes, even butterflies. She says 'they're out to get her'.

Ethan thought about it for a moment. Then his eyes gleamed. Oh no! What was that kid going to do this time? "Okay", said Ethan and promptly flung the bug at poor Alice. It landed on her top. She tried to get it off her, squishing the insect in the process, staining her outfit light green.

She looked like she was going to explode but she was too shocked to speak. I closed my eyes, counting down the time before she blew up. _3…2…1…_

"EWW! Get this thing off of me! I'm so gonna get you Ethan!! AARGH!! You know I hate bugs. And my outfit is ruined. I had to choose today to wear white!! And I really liked this top too. It goes perfectly with this skirt. What am I going to do now?

...Well I guess that just means another shopping trip! Yay! There's a new store opening this weekend. They're supposed to be great. And since I'm going you can come too, Bella. You totally need some new clothes. I don't know why you wear such boring stuff all the time and hide your inner beauty in those frumpy clothes."

I could never fully understand Alice and her mood swings. One minute she was boiling with rage and the next, thinking of ways to achieve what she called her ultimate goal – giving me a permanent 'makeover'. My inner beauty needed to be exposed to the world. Bah! What inner beauty? Sometimes Alice could be blind. Or maybe she was just being a good friend.

All I knew was this weekend would be pointlessly whiled away in some mall in New York City. How much fun! And here I was, looking forward to reread Wuthering heights. It had been a while since I had read the book though I had read it so many times that I could recite it from cover to cover. Still it was a classic that I could never read too many times.

I glared at Ethan. It was because of him that my weekend plans were ruined. "This is all your fault", I told my 5 year old. "If I'm getting tortured, so are you! You're coming with me, young man!"

"But Mommy…" whined Ethan pouting just a bit at the end, "I don't wanna go shopping! Sorry auntie Alice! I shouldn't have done that."

"Oh Bella! The poor kid needn't come with us. He really doesn't want to go. I can pick out stuff for him myself. I know his size and everything." said Alice

Poor naïve Alice! She wasn't resistant to Ethan's pout. In fact, Ethan pretty much had every one he met wrapped around his little finger.

Ethan was such a charmer…..he got that from his dad. His oddly colored bronze hair and striking green eyes were definitely from Edward too. Luckily Ethan was in no way influenced by my plain Jane looks though Alice insists that he has my nose (what is that even supposed to mean??).

He had however inherited one of my core characters. An inexplicable hate for shopping. Though, I guess anyone would hate shopping with Alice!

I looked at Ethan and he looked so much like Edward that suddenly, I wondered how Edward was doing but quickly pushed the thought from my mind. No need to brood over the past and ruin my day. What was done was done.

"Bella, dad said to tell you to take off this week. He's traveling all of this week so unless there's an emergency at work you needn't go. He said that he wanted you to go tomorrow, though. " said Alice interrupting my day dreams.

Alice's family owned a real estate company and I worked there as her father's secretary. They were the only company who would take me in when I came to New York just out of high school penniless and pregnant. At first I did odd jobs for them but soon graduated to being Mr. Cullen's secretary. That's how I first met Alice.

_Flashback_

_It was a long day at work. I had finished only around half of the report due tomorrow. Guess I'll stay late and finish it. Sigh._

_Suddenly I saw a tiny hand waving in my face, trying to catch my attention. I turned around thinking it was some little kid but instead saw a petite woman with short spiky black hair. She was very short; she couldn't even have been 5 feet. She looked faintly familiar._

"_Hi! I'm Alice Cullen!! I don't know your name but I do know that we are going to be best friends", she said._

_I was a little taken aback but realizing it would be rude not to reply I said, "Umm….hi! I'm Isabella Swan, but call me Bella. Are you a client…."I trailed_

"_No, silly. I own the place. At least my dad does"_

_Now, I saw the connect. That is why I had recognized her vaguely. She looked a lot like her dad._

"_I was supposed to ask you to how you report on potential buyers in New York was going" she continued, "but I've decided that shopping is a much better idea. I'll convince dad"_

"_But..." Before I had said anything she sped away into her dad's office. "Daddy…" I heard._

_And that was the start of a beautiful friendship_

_End Flashback_

I looked around the park and saw Ethan and Alice busy playing catch. More like fetch. Alice was randomly throwing a Frisbee around the park while Ethan ran around to get it.

"Much as I would like a dog I think I'd prefer my kid back" I sarcastically said to Alice.

She stuck her tongue out at me, resuming her game. This went on for around ten more minutes before Ethan got tired.

I glanced at my watch and saw that it was getting late. "Let's get going Ethan." I said. "We'll come back to the park later. You have school tomorrow and you need your rest."

He ignored me so I began to walk away hoping he would follow. However such dramatic gestures just did not work for me. I turned around to see if he was coming and in the process managed to trip myself over a protruding root of some random tree.

I fell to the ground bracing myself for the painful impact. And I wasn't disappointed.

"Are you okay", asked Alice anxiously running to my side. Though I don't see why. This happened all the time.

"Mommy are you alright?" asked Ethan who had run up beside her to see what had happened.

"I'm fine!" I grunted. "I just twisted it. No biggie" I tried to play it down so I wouldn't worry them.

"Are you sure?" Alice asked, now suspicious. I never was a good liar.

"Uh huh", I managed. In reality the pain was unbearable. I just wanted to avoid another trip to the emergency room. Just the thought of it made me nauseous.

"I'm still taking you to see a doctor", insisted Alice.

This was an argument we had every time I hurt myself and I always lost. Still, no harm in trying. "Alice, I'm ok" I lied

"No arguments. Wait near the driveway, I'll get the Porsche. Ethan, you wait with mommy. Ok?"

Not even giving us time to respond Alice rushed off. Typical Alice. Not 2 minutes later she was impatiently honking on the driveway earning her annoyed stares from everyone around her. "Coming", I said and went to the car quickly to avid further damage to my eardrums.

"Alice is this really necessary?" I asked once I was in the car. "You know you always lose this argument so why even try Bella", said Alice impatiently.

Because this was a free country.

Because I hated hospitals.

Because I want to.

I could have said any of these, but chose, wisely, to remain silent.

Ethan looked at me amused as I crossed my arms and huffed. I'm a wonderful example aren't I?

Going at least 30mph above the speed limit Alice reached New York Public Hospital in 10 minutes. That's probably a new record.

Being as clumsy as I am, I was on first name basis with most of the doctors and nurses here. Lucky me. As we entered the hospital, the receptionist Lauren smiled at us.

"Hey Bella! What did you fall over this time?" She said, trying not to laugh. I grimaced and Alice grinned.

Her phone rang and she went outside to take the call. I made an appointment and waited for my number to be called. Alice returned five minutes later and said, "I have to go now Bella. I have to edit some designs and get them stitched by today for one of my costumers. See ya! I'll get Luke to give you a ride home."

Alice was an upcoming fashion designer. She had a few loyal customers but to retain them she had to be at their beck and call 24/7. Though her parents were well off she wanted to make it big on her own. She even had a small office of her own and an idiotic assistant, Jessica.

She was very talented and would no doubt be very successful one day. After all a flair for business ran in her blood!

"Your appointment with Dr. Masen is in 5 minutes" called out Lauren. I lazily flipped through some magazines while Ethan went to the gum machine to buy some.

Sure enough, I heard my name on the intercom five minutes later. I walked along with Ethan to Dr. Masen's door. Strange. I hadn't heard of him. He must be new. I thought I knew everyone here. Oh well.

I knocked on the door. "Come in", called out a velvety voice.

I gingerly pushed the door open and was greeted by a mass of messy bronze hair bent over papers. Masen. Doctor. Bronze hair. Velvet voice. This could only mean one thing. Oh no! It couldn't be!!

But it was. It was him.

"Edward?" I called softly.

He looked up. Sure enough there was Edward looking, if possible, more handsome than ever. He looked at me shocked.

"Bella" he whispered.

He looked amazing. His bronze hair, messy as always fell over his bright green eyes…

"Mommy who is this?" asked Ethan snapping me back to reality.

Edward flinched at the word (mommy) and looked at me, his eyes a mixture of confusion and hurt.

"Hi doctor. I'm Ethan and I'm five years old. You look just like me!!" this was Ethan's general introduction to any doctor except the last bit.

I knew it would only be a matter of time before Edward would make the connection and Ethan had made it simpler for him. Not wanting Ethan to witness the scene that would soon follow I said hurriedly,

"Ethan darling, why don't you go play in the hospital play pen. I'll be right there." Ethan ran out of the room happily leaving me alone with Edward.

Edward was just staring at me bewildered. He hadn't said a word. The betrayal on his face and the hurt so clearly displayed that I began to cry. I had caused the pain on that beautiful face.

He was by my side in a second. "Hush, Bella" he said wiping away my tears. I cried even more at his touch as it reminded me of what I had been missing out on all this time.

Bewildered at my reaction, he pulled back. "Don't cry. I'm sorry" he whispered. I was violently shaking by now and on the verge of losing it but hearing him apologize brought me back.

He was sorry? What had he done? If anyone was doing any apologizing it would be me.

I was the one who suddenly left him and not informed him of my whereabouts. I was the one who broke my heart. I was the one who had had his baby without him knowing.

I'm sure Edward held himself responsible for my behavior. I had to try to set this right. I took a deep breath. 'Edward, I owe you an explanation", I began.

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	3. Explanations

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**EXPLANATIONS**

**BPOV**

"_Edward, I owe you an explanation", I began._

I looked down and began fidgeting with my shirt. Edward looked at me intensely, willing me to go on. I did.

"I'm sorry Edward. For everything. For all the pain I caused you. For breaking your trust in me. But I had a reason, and absurd as it may sound I thought at that point that I was making the right choice."

"When I left 5 years ago, it was not because I needed a change. That was an outright lie. My life was absolutely perfect, how could it not be when I had you? The night I left Forks was the night that I found out I was pregnant with your baby, Edward."

His expression was blank so I continued.

"I was scared Edward. So scared. And I felt so guilty. I had forced you into something you weren't ready for and look where it brought us! I didn't want to involve you in something that wasn't your fault."

"You had just gotten accepted into that great college. If you had ever found out I knew you would drop out and help me with the baby. How could I watch you throw away your dreams and live with myself? I…."

Edward interrupted me, his eyes burning with an emotion I couldn't recognize.

"Bella. When you left me to believe that you didn't love me I retreated into a cold hard shell. I was in a horrible condition. I couldn't eat. I couldn't think. I was miserable. You should have told me Bella, we would have worked something out."

He was getting more and more agitated with every word he spoke.

"How could you not trust me? Today I am one of the best doctors there is and that too because you. When you told me in that letter that you wanted me to succeed I took it to heart and gave medical school everything I had. I am where I am because of you. But all of this meant nothing next to what you meant to me."

He suddenly stopped talking when he realized where we were and why I was there He hoisted my leg up to the examination table. I felt my eyes becoming wet once again, not due to the pain in my leg but because of the pain I had caused Edward

I blinked back my tears as Edward gently checked my leg. He pressed an ice bag against it and wrote out a prescription. He handed me the prescription along with his card and said, "I'm sorry Bella but we can't talk any more right now because other patients are waiting to see me. Call me and we'll meet up for coffee and see where all this is going to lead us to. Take care of your leg Bella."

"Bye, Edward" I muttered.

"Goodbye" he said so softly I could barely hear him.

I walked out completely shocked and disoriented. I picked up Ethan from the play pen and went over to the car park with him, still in a daze.

"Mommy, are you okay?" asked Ethan.

"I'm fine darling. How 'bout you have a sleep over with Aubrey today?"

"Sure!"

"Kay, I'll drop you on the way, alright?"

"Mmm Hmm!"

"Good"

Ethan's best friend Aubrey was the daughter of one of Alice's models, Rosalie. Her husband Emmet and I had soon become as close as real siblings. I was sure Rose and Em wouldn't mind especially when I explained the situation to them.

Luke was waiting outside the hospital for me. He was Mr. Cullen's driver. I got into the car along with Ethan.

"How's the leg" asked Luke, casually.

"Seen better times" I replied. We had this conversation every time we met because I was inevitably injured all the time. "Do you mind pulling over outside Rose's house" I asked.

"Sure thing" he said.

We reached Em's place and I hobbled over with Ethan and rang the doorbell, while Luke stayed in the car. Rose answered and when she saw the look on my face tactfully said, "Come in. Ethan, why don't you go upstairs and play with Aubrey?

"Thanks Rose", I said once Ethan was safely out of hearing range.

"I'm having some personal problems right now and I just need to think alone. I don't want Ethan to get involved."

"Sure, I understand. If you need to talk I'm always here, honey"

"Thanks. I appreciate it. I'll head home now"

"Bye. Be safe."

I rolled my eyes at that. I stepped into the car and Luke headed off in the direction of my apartment. Alice's and mine that is. Alice had insisted that I move in with her a week after I had met her.

_Flashback_

_Alice__ had come to my house to visit. When she arrived her expression turned to one of disgust. I lived in a one roomed apartment that resembled a closet more than a house._

"_Bella you have to come live with me" she said. "Look at this place!"_

_She was right about the house, but that didn't mean I could randomly move in with her._

"_Come on, Alice!_ _There is no way you can expect me to just drop everything and live with you." I reasoned._

"_Pshh. Why not? This place you stay in is so small. And dingy. And plain ugly. What are you going to do when the baby is born?"_

"_Are you done with the criticism? Anyway I can barely afford the rent for this place, where am I going to find someplace better." I said_

"_That's why you're moving to my house. And who said anything about rent? I own the apartment"_

"_I'm not staying for free"_

"_Of course you are and that's final."_

_Alice__ had one that argument like every other one we had had._

_End Flashback_

However to ease my guilty conscience for freeloading off Alice I insisted upon cooking every meal and doing the dishes every day as well as straightening out the apartment once a week to save Alice the cost of a cook and a maid.

She agreed because that was the only way I agreed to stay with her. I smiled at the memory but sobered up when I realized why I was in that pathetic position in the first place. Why I was in New York in the first place. Killjoy.

I reached the apartment and waved goodbye to Luke. I pulled out my keys. Stuffing them into the lock I pushed the door open. I was hoping to reach before Alice so I would have some time to straighten out my thoughts before I saw her.

I was in no such luck. I could hear Alice in her room singing along, in her beautiful soprano voice to the radio. "Alice", I called out. "I'm home!"

"Hey Bella!" she yelled over the blaring music. "I'll be there in a sec."

Alice bounced (yes Alice doesn't walk, she bounces) over but stopped when she saw my expression. "What's the matter, Bella?" she asked. "And where's Ethan?

"Sit down and I'll explain everything"

I composed myself, while Alice sat on the couch. She was just twitching with anticipation. Unable to contain herself any longer she asked "So…what happened?"

I smiled at her excitement and then said, "Well, after you left me in the hospital it was time for my appointment so I went in. My doctor was Dr. Masen. I knew him from before. Guess how?"

"Don't keep me in suspense. Spill"

"He is Edward. _The _Edward. Ethan's father", I half whispered.

Alice understood at once. I had told her all about Edward. "Oh Bella! I'm so sorry you had to handle that on your own. I wish I was there." She exclaimed

"No, this is not your fault. It's time I stopped running away from my problems. But I don't know what to do." I said sadly

"What do you think I'm here for, huh? Tell me what happened."

"He more or less said that I shouldn't have hurt him the way I did. He knows now that he is Ethan's father. I feel like such a horrible person, Alice. I hurt him so much." She put her arm round my shoulder, comforting me.

"He gave me his card and said that we should talk this out over coffee."

"I think you should go as soon as possible. How 'bout tomorrow after work? And do you need me to be there? And where's Ethan?" she said, asking multiple questions at once.

"You're right. I'll go right after work tomorrow and no, I'll be fine on my own. Ethan is in Rose and Em's place. I didn't want him to get involved." I replied.

"You're right. Neither Ethan nor Edward are ready to be pushed together right now."

My life was such a mess. I realized that I had better get to bed, if I wanted to get up on time for work tomorrow. After that a one week break! I loved it when Mr. Cullen traveled for this one reason. When he wasn't there I got off!

Alice must have realized that it was getting late too, because she said "Bella, I think you should go to sleep now. You'll feel better."

Generally I played the role of the adult in this house. Seeing Alice spring into baby sitter mode was amusing and frankly quite touching.

However I couldn't resist a 'Goodnight mother!"

Alice mock glared at me and I fled to my room. I got into a pair of old, comfy pajamas before falling onto the bed. I pulled my blanket over my frame engulfing myself in it

I found it hard to sleep. I kept thinking about Edward and how much I had hurt him.

And how amazing he looked in that doctor's coat. Though, I knew for a fact that he looked better without it. Much, much better. I tried to clear my mind of inappropriate images of Edward.

When I finally managed to sleep it was well past 2 am.

_That night all I dreamt about was Edward Masen._

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**All of you who read this story the first time round would have realized that Ethan's best friend is not Kevin but Aubrey.**

**I just thought it would be more interesting for him to have a girl best friend *winks***

**Tell me what you thought. Leave a review!**


	4. New Roommate

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight**

**A/N: Enjoy!!!**

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BPOV

_That night all I dreamt about was Edward Mason_

I woke up, as usual, to the remarkably annoying ring of my alarm clock. What was I thinking letting Alice set 'Jingle _Bells_' as my wake up call? She found the play on my name funny. I didn't.

Groggily putting it of I yawned and stretched out, knocking my clock to the floor. While checking the clock for signs of damage (no luck!) I glanced at the dial and realized that I was running late. I cursed under my breath and got out of my warm comfy bed on to the cold uncomfortable floor.

I trudged out of my room. On the table, I saw a cup of coffee from Starbucks and a note next to it. I picked it up and began to read it.

_Bella, I have to leave for work early today and forgot to tell you. I picked up a latte with a sprinkle o cinnamon for you, just how you like it!! Good luck with Edward. See ya_

_Love ya!!_

_Alice_

I drank the warm delicious drink quickly and showered in a record 4 minutes. I grabbed the first outfit I saw pulling it on and rushing out of the house. I took a cab to work and reached just in time. I hurried over to my workstation outside Mr. Cullen's room and clocked in. Yep. Just in time!

I worked hard all morning making up for the week I would me having off. I was stuffed with files and had no time to brood over Edward or think about what to say to him. Thank god for work. It was at least keeping my mind off Edward.

Unfortunately I wasn't so lucky in the afternoon. That was usually when I arranged all appointments for Mr. Cullen but since he wasn't there I hadn't much to do. I contemplated calling Edward and decided that I had to do it some time.

No sense in putting it off indefinitely. I searched my purse and found what I was looking for - Edward's card. I dialed his number and waited. It was four rings until he picked up. "Hello", he said in his musical voice.

At the sound of his voice I began to hyperventilate. I hastily hung up. I called up once more but was still to gutless to say anything.

"Come on Bella, don't be stupid. You can do this." I said to myself and dialed. This time he answered at once. "This better not be another prank call", he said, clearly annoyed.

"No, it's me Edward. Bella", I managed

"Umm… hi Bella!!" His voice softened.

"Hey. I thought about what you said and you're right. We should …umm…we should meet and talk this out. Not on the phone, but face to face" I said

"That's what I think too. Have you decided where we can meet then?"

"How about the café near the hospital? At 6, today"

"Sure. I'll see you there. We have a lot to discuss and I want to do it face to face, just like you said"

"Bye Edward"

"Bye Bella." His voice had softened. He hung up. After listening to the dead tone of the phone for a while I hung up as well.

Okay. I admit it. I had an ulterior motive for wanting to meet Edward today. Let's just say it involves some major ogling! And I'm not even embarrassed. That man is a beauty.

I occupied myself with work until it was 4 when I could finally leave. I gathered my stuff and I clocked out. I then took a cab to Rose's house, to pick Ethan up. I called Alice on the way letting her know about my plans for the evening.

She said that she was free and that she would stay at home with Ethan.

When I reached Rose's house she opened the door. "Come in", she said. "Ethan and Aubrey are baking cookies."

Ethan? Baking? This I had to see! He had definitely not inherited my inclination for cooking. Or, for that matter, tidiness in the kitchen.

I went to the kitchen and was appalled at its condition. There was flour spilt everywhere. Butter was running down the counter and eggshells lay strewn on the floor. Aubrey and Ethan had chocolate all over their clothes.

Aubrey's waist long blonde hair was soaked in egg yolk, while Ethan had flour all over him. Looks like someone had a food fight!!

_This_ is why I don't let Ethan into the kitchen. Actually I don't let Alice into the kitchen either- she's hardly better than Ethan!!

"Ethan, Aubrey you're both such a mess! What happened?" I asked.

"We had a food fight" said Aubrey, oblivious to Ethan's glare in her direction. She didn't know about my dislike of food wastage.

I grimaced but didn't say anything. Actually the scene was rather cute. Sure enough I heard a camera go off and turned around to see Rose with a camera.

Rose was obsessed with taking photos of Aubrey and Ethan together because she was convinced that they would get together when they grew up. She had made two giant 'Memories book' in which she stuck all the pictures. She planned to present one to each of them on their 18th birthday.

Once Rose was done with the pictures which Aubrey posed for happily (she was photogenic, like Rose) and Ethan not so happily (Yep, that's from me) the two went to get washed up.

"Come on, Ethan. It's time to get home. Go get your stuff, okay?"

"Sure thing, mommy!!!" He raced upstairs to find his stuff. I turned to Rose who was just finished drying Aubrey's hair.

"Thanks a lot. I really appreciate you letting Ethan stay here. It's an enormous help." I said.

Rose brushed it off and said, "No biggie. He's welcome here any time"

"I'm ready mommy", Ethan yelled. "Let's go!!"

"Why don't you thank Rosalie first?"

"Thanks aunty Rosy for letting me stay here", he said and ended it with a hug.

Man, that kid is such a charmer. Wonder where he got that from! (Note sarcasm).

Sure enough Rose gushed, "No problem sweetie! Come here anytime."

Ethan and I went home and Alice was there with a bowl of popcorn in one hand and the Oswald CDs in the other. When I stared at her amused she said, "What!! Oswald totally rules!!!"

"Sure!" I shrugged. "Anyway, I am going to meet Edward at six so I have only one hour to get ready. I'll leave Ethan with you although I'm sure even he's too mature for Oswald!!"

"Hey!!" she said and threw some popcorn at me. "Don't be a meanie, Kay?"

"Meanie?" I said not even trying to hide my smirk.

"Meanie." She repeated. "Anyway is it fine if I help you get ready. And no, you don't really have a choice, I'm just being polite."

"Fine!!" I huffed. She almost dragged me to my room with surprising strength for someone so little.

She flung open my wardrobe pulling out clothes, trying to find something acceptable. She finally settled on dark blue jeans and a white tank top. Which she changed to black realizing 'clumsy Bella' was liable to spill something on herself.

She tied my hair into a high ponytail and used no make up but lip gloss and eyeliner. This process still took nearly half an hour but by Alice standards that was short.

"Wow! Alice, you're being nice today", I exclaimed.

"You need to be comfortable for this Bella" she said. "Okay you're set to go. Don't worry I'll handle Ethan. And by the way Oswald is _totally _mature!! Good luck Bella"

For a minute I considered bailing but Alice pushed me out of the house saying firmly "Bye Bella"

I took a cab (is it just me or do I seem to be taking cabs a lot? I can't drive with my seemingly perennially injured body parts so I haven't bothered buying a car) to the café and waited for Edward.

It was only 5:45 so I had 15 minutes to while away. However, he came in around 5 minutes and didn't notice me initially. This gave me time to stare shamelessly at him. To my annoyance I wasn't the only one looking at him. Some of the waitresses practically drooled.

His bronze hair was messy (big surprise) and he was wearing a pair of jeans and a simple white button down shirt. He was gorgeous.

He noticed me looking at him and I blushed at once. You would think I had better control over my vascular motors by no, but nope, anything remotely embarrassing made me resemble a tomato.

"Hey Bella" he said hesitantly. Wait a minute….was he nervous too??? Nah.

"Hi" I squeaked.

A pretty young waitress came to take our order and she was eyeing my Edward like was a piece of meat. "What can I do for you?" she asked in a supposed-to-be.-sexy-but-failing-sadly-voice.

"What do you want Bella?" he asked me, without even glacing at her. This is what made me fall in love with Edward; he made me, plain ole Bella, feel beautiful. "A chocolate fudge would be great" I said.

"Make that two", he told the waitress. She glared at me angrily, thinking that I was to blame me for Edward's lack of response. If only.

"She's not even that pretty!" she walked off muttering. Though she hadn't intended for Edward to hear that, he did.

"Hey!" called out Edward. "That's no way to treat a costumer. And no, she's not pretty she's beautiful"

Was he _trying _to kill me? 'Coz it was totally working. I blushed immediately. I knew that he was just being polite but still.

"Bella", Edward sighed. "When will you learn to take a compliment?"

"When I deserve it"

"You don't see yourself clearly Bella", he said.

The waitress set our food down and went away.

"Anyway, we'll never agree on that. Let's agree to disagree!"

I smiled at his attempt at a joke.

He suddenly got serious though. "Now, what are we going to do Bella? What about Ethan. I want to get to know him, I am his father. And what about you? Are you seeing someone?"

"Of course you can meet Ethan. I can't and don't want to stop you from doing that. And I'm definitely not dating. What about _you_?? Are you with someone?"

"No."

"Oh!"

There was a silence as we both ate. It wasn't awkward though. It was comfortable, like to friends meeting up after a long time. I wish it were something more!

Suddenly Edward broke the silence. "Umm Bella?"

I looked up.

"Actually… I have a…err… proposal. I am …seriously considering moving in… with you" he said stuttering.

"What?" I nearly spat out my food.

"If you'll let me that is. I thought it's the best way for me to get to know Ethan. We'll try for a couple of months and if it doesn't work out I'll move right back out."

That was a reasonable request. And we had an extra room. Though I wouldn't mind sharing with him! Especially the bed! "Bad Bella!" I scolded myself before looking at Edward.

"Well, that's okay, I guess. I'll have to ask Alice; it's her house after all."

"I already talked to her. She said it was entirely your decision"

"How did you get her number?"

"I called your house. I found your number in the medical records"

No wonder Alice was being so nice to me all of a sudden. She knew I had a hard decision to make. Actually it wasn't a very hard one. I had made my choice.

Before I said anything, another stupid waitress arrived with our bill swaying her hips and batting her eyelids at Edward. Will they ever learn?? Edward is generally oblivious to all the attention paid to him. Edward being the gentleman he was insisted upon paying.

"So what do you think?" he asked once the waitress had stalked off after getting no response from Edward.

"That the waitresses here are sluts"

Edward chuckled. "No, I mean about my proposal."

I pretended to think some more. Edward grew tense. I smiled and said "I'm just messing with you. Of course, you can move in!!"

"Really?"

"Definitely. How about tomorrow? I have a week off from work so I can help you"

Edward grinned and offered to drive me home. Actually the word 'offered' is wrong as it implies a choice!! He almost dragged me to his car and drove me home.

He put on some Beethoven on the drive home. My home, and soon to be his! We reached in ten minutes due to Edward's maniac driving. I think he and Alice are going to get along very well!

He opened the door for me before I could do it myself and let me out. I blushed for the hundredth time that evening. He is such a gentleman.

_I think I'm falling for him all over again._

EPOV

I shut the door after letting her out and watched her enter her apartment. As she passed me by I caught a whiff of the unique smell that was Bella.

Though she was normally clumsy she walked with unusual grace. Different emotions surged through me all at once.

_Fear. _ Fear of being hurt again. Fear of never seeing her again. Fear of losing her again.

_Lust. _I had forgotten just how beautiful she was. Though she had changed she was still as beautiful. Her hair was cut slightly shorter and she had gotten it done in layers. Her body had developed further (stop it Edward) and like always she continued to take my breath away.

_Joy._ Joy, at seeing her again.

_Confusion._ Confusion at my myriad contradictory feelings

But most importantly _hope._ Hope to start over, hope to make things right.

However there was one feeling I could not identify. What could it be?

I racked my brain for the answer. Suddenly the question was answered by my subconscious.

_Love…_

Did I love her? Strangely I didn't know……

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**Just to let you know, no more EPOV's for the next few chapters at least.**

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	5. Chocolate And Phone Calls

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight, but Ethan's all mine!!!**

**A/N: There was a glitch on the website so authors were unable to update for 2 days. :(**

**Therefore my reconstruction will take slightly longer...i guess i should be done by Sunday!!!**

**Then, all new chapters. Yay!!!!**

**Enjoy!!**

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BPOV

_I think I'm falling for him all over again._

I walked to the door of my house slowly. I could feel Edward's eyes on me but I was too scared to look back and meet his gaze. Instead I just pulled my keys out of my pocket, and went straight in without looking back once. I slammed the door shut behind me. A few seconds later I head the quiet purr of an engine, confirming that Edward had left.

Once within the safety of the house I was free to reflect upon the day's events. Today was very interesting after all. I suddenly realized how much like a date our 'meeting' would have seemed to a casual observer (or a slutty waitress). This insight caused me to remember, albeit wistfully, one of our old dates.

_Flashback_

_He pulled up near the porch of my house. He opened the door for me but I refused to get out. I wasn't about to let him go just yet. I pulled him down and kissed him furiously._

_He smiled before responding just as enthusiastically. _

"_Bella!" he sighed against my lips._

"_I love you" I replied._

"_I love you too" he said softly. "You are my everything"_

_I blushed furiously and got out of the car._

"_I'll miss you' I said sadly._

"_I'll call you once I get home" he promised. I started to kiss him again when I heard Charlie's voice._

"_Bella, is that you?" called out Charlie. "Get in the house. It's freezing outside you'll catch a cold!"_

"_Coming, dad!" I replied. _

_I quickly kissed Edward once more and ran into the house. Looking back I saw Edward staring at me. I smiled at him. He flashed back a crooked grin of his own._

_End Flashback_

I sighed, reflecting upon how differently the two outings had ended. Well, it was my own fault. As I entered the hall I was greeted by the sight of Alice and Ethan, who seemed to be completely oblivious to my appearance.

They had chocolate around their mouths. The entire room was littered with candy wrappings which had been scrunched up into little balls of foil.

The two of them were, quite literally, bouncing up and down. On the sofa.

Uh oh!!

This means trouble!!

As if they weren't hyper enough already!

"Hi Bella! Hi Bella! Hi Bella!" chorused Alice and Ethan, finally alerted to my presence, when I (not so subtly) cleared my throat loudly.

"Um, hi?" I replied, looking at them, slightly worried for their sanity.

"We want more chocolate. We need more chocolate" they chanted. They began bouncing round the house. I more or less ignored them until they had the brilliant idea of entering the kitchen. _My _kitchen. My sacred territory.

They began opening random drawers, looking for candy, and messing the kitchen up. I watched in petrified horror as they casually flung aside my neatly arranged spices around the kitchen not giving it a second thought.

That did it. They had gone too far. How much chocolate had they eaten? No person messes with my kitchen in their normal state of mind. I recovered from my momentary shock and rushed to the kitchen.

"Alice, how many?' I asked sternly.

"Well you have two eyes, one nose…'

"You know what I'm talking about. Don't play dumb."

"Fine" she said, cowering under my furious gaze. 16"

"16 bars of chocolate. That means 8 bars each." I thought

"Each" she continued.

I stared at her dumbfounded. "Are you trying to tell me that you and Ethan had 16 bars of chocolate each? What on earth possessed you to do such a thing? At least Ethan is just a kid. Alice! You know what sugar does to you" I ranted.

Looking around the house I saw that it was a complete mess. I was about to start yelling again when Ethan cut me off.

"Mommy, don't be mad. The chocolate called to us and we just couldn't say no"

"How exactly did the chocolate call to you if I may ask?" I said sarcastically.

"Ethan won't you eat me? Please? I'm so yummy. Like that" said Ethan while Alice giggled.

I knew that there was no point in trying to talk them when they were on their sugar high. They would simply not listen to reason in this state. Well, I should have expected this leaving Alice in charge. Sometimes I think Ethan is more responsible than her.

Scratch that. Ethan is more responsible than her any day.

"Both of you out of the kitchen" I ordered. "And I expect to see that living room _sparkle_ when I come there"

"Sheesh! Military much" Alice muttered. I glared at her. She went off to the living room dragging Ethan with her mumbling under her breath the whole way there, causing Ethan to laugh.

Well, they thought the whole thing was a joke, did they? I'd teach them!!

Once they had gone I pulled out a saucepan and began heating some water. I put in a few herbs and then I added my secret ingredient- broccoli. I let the mixture simmer, while peeking into the hall, to see what those two were up to.

"Alice, Ethan come here and drink this" I called.

"What is it" asked Alice curiously while Ethan tried to sneak a look into the saucepan.

"Broccoli soup" I said grinning evilly.

"Eww!!" they said simultaneously.

"You have to drink every drop" I said sternly. "That's what you get for messing with my kitchen"

Alice and Ethan hated broccoli soup so much that it would get them off their sugar high. Sometimes I was so smart I astonished myself!!!

Sure enough in 10 minutes,

"Bella, don't make me have any more of this awful concoction. I can't take it any more" proclaimed Alice. "I'm sorry that I bought and ate so much chocolate when I know what it does to me."

"Yeah, mommy! I'm sorry too!!" said Ethan, hugging me. 'I won't ever do it again, I promise". He looked up at me from under his eyelashes and gave me a puppy dog look.

Ethan was a master at _the look_. And I was a sucker for _the look_.

"Alright!" I said laughing. "Stop buttering me up!"

"So, no more of that yucky green stuff?" asked Ethan hopefully.

"No baby! You're punishment is done"

"Thanks mommy, you're the best"

"I know" I smirked.

I glanced at my watch absent mindedly and saw that it was a quarter to 8.

"Alright Ethan, bedtime" I said.

"But mommy I don't have school tomorrow" he said

"Why not?" I asked

"Coz tomorrow is a guvment holiday" he replied

"_Government_"I corrected.

He just shrugged dismissally. I swear Alice is rubbing on to him way too much!

"That's okay honey, you need your rest.

"Fine" huffed Ethan.

I went with Ethan to his room. Though I would have loved for him to sleep with me Ethan was the one who insisted upon sleeping alone.

'Mommy, I'm a big kid now. And big kids sleep alone' he had said.

Alice had taken it upon herself to convert his nursery into a bedroom. The wallpaper was from _Cars_ one of Ethan's favorite movies. She did a very good job and Ethan loved his room.

I got Ethan to change into his pajamas and put him in bed. This would be the cue for me to read a bedtime story, but Ethan for some reason hated bedtime stories.

'There's no point coz you fall asleep in the middle' he would always say.

Ethan fell asleep at once and I watched him sleep for a while before quietly leaving the room.

Alice was in the hall watching some fashion show rerun.

"Is he asleep yet?" she asked. "Uh huh" I grunted.

We sat and watched the show in silence for a few minutes till I finally blurted, "Did you ask Edward to move in with us?"

She nodded nervously.

"Well, I said yes so he's moving in. Tomorrow" I said, unable to hide my excitement any longer."

"Wow, that's great" Alice squealed.

"What's your plan for tomorrow" I asked.

"I had a hunch you might say yes to Edward, so I made plans with Rose to take the kids out for the day." she said

"Sure, that's a great idea" I said.

"I know, right?" Alice began when the phone began to ring.

I went to pick it up.

"Hello" I said.

There was no reply for a few seconds. I was about to hang up when I heard something.

"_Bella?" asked a gruff voice I knew too well._

_

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**Who's on the phone???? (creepy background music)**

** For those of you who read the story the first time around this won't come as a surprise.**

**For the others...wait and watch**

**And REVIEW!!!**


	6. Moving In

**Disclaimer: Own nothing :(**

**A/N: Enjoy!!!**

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"_Bella?" asked a gruff voice I knew too well._

"Dad!" I managed to choke out.

Since I had walked out of Forks, I had maintained no contact with anyone there including my own father. He was my only known existing family as my mother had died when I was a little girl.

Charlie loved me not only for being his daughter but for being a living, breathing memory of her. Renée. My mother. I looked a lot like her and my dad had always said we were a lot alike, so he treasured me doubly.

I knew how much it would hurt him if I left but I still did. And I made no effort to contact him because I was afraid he would insist that I move back. I would be unable to face him, especially with a baby.

I didn't want to let him down. Forks, as such was a small town and being the police Chief everyone knew him. The gossip, if I showed up with a baby would be terrible. I didn't want to put him through that torment.

Hearing his voice all of a sudden caught me of guard and my eyes wet up. It reminded me of how horrible a daughter I had been to him..

"Bella, how are you?" Charlie asked, his voice filled with concern. Yes concern, not anger.

I deserved to be yelled at. I didn't deserve to be cared about. I felt like such a monster right then. I had never stopped to reflect how badly I was affecting everyone around me when I left Forks.

"Dad! I'm so….so…rry!" I said in between the tears that had begun flowing down my cheeks of their own accord.

"Bella, what happened?" asked Alice looking worried at my sudden tears. "Who is that? Is that your dad?"

I nodded mutely. She squeezed my hand reassuringly and I began to speak to my father again, this time somewhat more collected.

"Dad, I really am sorry" I repeated. "How were you able to call me?"

That just slipped out. But still, I was curious as to how he got my phone number.

"Edward called. He gave me your number" my dad said.

Of course. Edward gave my dad the number. He was more considerate of my own father than I was. Go figure. He was always the perfect one anyway.

"Bella, come home" my dad said. "I miss you".

I knew that Charlie wasn't very good at expressing his emotions, so for him to say this showed me how much I had hurt him.

I then realized that Charlie may not know about Ethan. I don't think Edward would have said anything about him to dad.

"Dad…there's something you should know." I said nervously.

"What is it Bella? Why do you sound so scared? You can tell me anything." He said. "it's not like your pregnant or something"

"Actually, I'm not"

Charlie sighed, obviously relieved.

"Because I already was. That's why I left dad. Because I was pregnant."

"You…But…What" Charlie spluttered.

I think he would explode if I said the 'P' word once more so I settled for "Dad, you are now a granddad. Actually you have been for 5 years. His name is Ethan"

"I don't know what to say" Charlie said.

I remained silent. I mentally prepared myself for him to disown me.

"Who's the father" he asked after a while.

"Edward" I said.

"Well okay….I guess… I want to see you and Ethan soon" he said not very coherently. It may be something to do with the mental imagery of his 'innocent' 18 year old having sex under his own roof.

"I will visit dad" I promised. "Soon. And I'll explain everything when I meet you. But I plan on staying here in New York. I have a good job and a place to stay here. "

"I can't force you to move here. There's nothing much here in Forks a talented girl like you can accomplish" he said

"Thanks dad" I replied, overwhelmed by his pride in me.

"When will you come?" he asked.

"Soon" was all I could say.

"And Bella?" he said.

"Yeah, dad?"

"About Edward. He's a good kid. Don't let him go once again. You may run out of chances."

I was shocked to hear my dad say this. He was never too fond of Edward. Edward had always been a perfect gentleman to him but Charlie always had something against him.

In fact a large part of my time with Charlie was spent with him trying to convince me to break up with Edward.

I replied "Sure dad. Thanks"

"Love you, Bells" he said.

"You too, dad" I replied before hanging up.

I sat there staring blankly, while Alice sat quietly by me. Finally she turned to me and asked "You okay?"

I said nothing.

"What's wrong Bella?" Alice asked shaking me.

"Alice, I abandoned Edward, I abandoned my father! That's what's wrong. What sort of person am I?" I asked desperately.

"A confused one" she replied. "But don't worry, Bella. We'll get through this together. After all what are friends for?"

"Thanks, Alice" I said and hugged her.

"Sure thing" she replied nonchalantly. "But now you have to sleep. You're gonna be busy tomorrow with Edward"

I blushed at the unintentional innuendo, and Alice giggled, realizing what she had said.

"I didn't mean it that way" she said quickly, "but who knows?"

I blushed even deeper. One day my face will permanently be stained, I swear it will.

"Shut up, Alice I muttered, playfully swatting her. She dodged effortlessly and stuck out her tongue at me.

I went to my room, shaking my head at Alice's child like demeanor. I changed into my nightclothes. Jumping into bed, I pulled the covers over me and tried to get to sleep.

I felt a slight poking on my side. "Stop it" I muttered.

I woke up groggily and saw Ethan there, shoving his finger into my ribs.

"I'm awake, Ethan" I grumbled. I glanced at my alarm clock and saw that it was still 2.00 am.

"What are you doing here so late…or early?" I asked, rubbing my eyes.

"I couldn't sleep, mommy. I had bad dreams. I'm sleeping with you"

Before I could say anything, Ethan climbed in beside me and lay down. I didn't have a chance to ask him what he was dreaming about, because he fell asleep at once.

I tried to go back to sleep but couldn't. Instead I looked at Ethan, thinking about how Edward moving in would affect him and how those two would get along.

Ethan looked so peaceful while he slept, so blissfully unaware of the change that was going to take place in both our lives soon.

I've always regretted the fact that Ethan didn't have a chance to meet his father because he certainly deserved to. Plus, Edward would make a wonderful father…

I don't know when, but at some point during my deliberations, I fell asleep.

I was woken, for the second time today by Alice. She had the most awful ways of waking people up, but I got up immediately, not giving her an opportunity to try her torture methods on me. I looked beside me but Ethan was already up. Wow, that kid sure has energy!

Ethan was, unlike me a morning person. Sometimes I really doubted he was my child but the painful memory of my labor was enough to convince me otherwise. Sorry. Unnecessary details. I know.

It was 7.00 in the morning and Edward was coming over at 8.00. He had evidently accepted Alice's offer to have breakfast with us. I quickly hopped into the shower and enjoyed the feel of the warm water on my limbs.

I shampooed my hair with my favorite strawberry shampoo and soaked in it's delicious aroma. Too soon for my liking I had to step out of the shower so as to be ready before Edward got here.

I dried off and dressed simply in sweats. I pulled my hair up into a messy bun and didn't bother with make up. I didn't see why I had to deck myself up to stay at home. Edward was generally used to seeing me like this so I figured that it didn't matter.

Edward was due to come in around half an hour. I realized that this would be the first time he was meeting Ethan properly, and Alice at all. I was slightly nervous but knew that they would all love each other.

I walked over to the kitchen and saw Ethan and Alice in Alice's room packing stuff they would need for the day's outing. "Good morning baby! Morning Alice!" I called.

"Glad to see you alive and unzombie like" muttered Alice. She was right, I usually was in a terrible state in the mornings, but today had an obvious difference.

Alice suddenly realized what I was wearing and nearly had a heart attack. "Bella, please tell me you're changing" she said.

"Fine" I sighed. As I had learned on numerous occasions there was no point in arguing with her. "But I'm not wearing anything fancier than jeans"

"Firstly Bella, jeans aren't fancy. And secondly yes you are."

She gave me a short denim skirt and a halter top which I threw back at her. "Jeans" I nearly growled.

"Fine" she said. "Don't get your panties in a twist."

"Don't get _what_ in a twist?" asked Ethan, who had been standing there.

I blushed. "Nothing, baby" I said hurriedly. Alice began laughing and I glared at her. She shut up at once.

We finally compromised on jeans and a fitting V neck sweater. Alice quickly put some lip gloss on me before I could protest, and gave me a look daring me to wipe it off.

I didn't.

I thought about what to make for breakfast and suddenly had a brainwave. I quickly began whipping up batter for blueberry pancakes-Ethan's favorite, and if I recalled correctly Edward's too.

I was just finished with them when I heard the doorbell ring. I rushed to get it almost tripping over myself in the process.

Thankfully, _almost_.

I pulled the door open and my breath caught at the sight before me. He was _gorgeous_ as usual. He was wearing jeans and a t-shirt that fitted him well, showing off the perfect contours of his sculpted body.

His hair looked like he had put an effort into it, but it remained stubbornly wild. I realized that I had been staring when he said, "Well, Bella! Aren't you going to invite me in or shall I stand here all day?"

I blushed and moved aside, letting him in. He stepped inside, looking around appreciatively. It was then I noticed he was carrying heavy looking bags in his hands, presumably containing his stuff.

"Let me get that" I offered.

"I don't think you could handle the weight" smirked Edward.

I glared at him, but let it go. Alice had come out by them and by the way her eyes were moving rapidly I could tell she was sizing him up.

Sure enough she soon gave a small nod, her sign of approval.

"Hi!" she said. "It's nice to meet you in person Edward."

"You too. Thanks for letting me stay here" he replied.

Alice waved her hand dismissally.

Right. They had talked to each other before.

Ethan had bounded into the room by then. He looked at Edward and then to me in confusion.

He looked a few seconds longer and his eyes widened in recognition.

"I know you" he said to Edward. Edward didn't reply, and waited for him to go on.

"You're the doctor who looks like me!!"

Edward froze, not knowing quite how to react.

"Mommy, who is this" Ethan asked curiously.

I sighed. This would be a good time as any to tell Ethan. .

"_Ethan, darling, I'd like you to meet Edward. Ethan, this is your daddy."_

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	7. Epiphany

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight**

**A/N: Reconstruction almost complete!!**

**2 more edited chapters, and then brand new chapters. Yay!!!**

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"_Ethan, darling, I'd like you to meet Edward. Ethan, this is your daddy."_

Ethan looked at me confused. I didn't blame him. After all, he had just learnt that a seemingly random stranger was his father. I waited for him to say something.

Ethan broke the uncomfortable silence, asking me disbelievingly, "Really?? That's my daddy?"

I simply nodded. He looked at me for a little longer and must have found whatever assurance he was looking for, because he suddenly turned around so as to face Edward.

Edward's face was a mask, he showed no emotion whatsoever. However I had known him too long to be fooled, his eyes showed me what he was really feeling.

I could see the tension in them, as he waited patiently for Ethan to address him. He was slightly nervous, but looked eager to hear what Ethan had to say. He didn't have to wait for long.

"This means I can call you daddy?" Ethan asked innocently, oblivious to the apprehension surrounding him.

Edward relaxed at once. "Sure thing" he said, but not before glancing at me to see if I was okay with it. I smiled a yes.

To his utmost surprise Ethan suddenly flung his arms around Edward and hugged him. Edward awkwardly returned the gesture, slightly disoriented and not quite sure what else to do.

Frankly, having always known Edward as the one who was ever confident and completely sure of himself all the time, this new shy side to him was rather endearing.

I saw Alice smiling so widely, I'm surprised her cheek muscles didn't hurt. I could tell that she was suppressing the urge to go 'Aww!!'

Ethan let go of Edward and said "I think I like having a daddy. And you know what? I'm happy it's you. "

The look on Edward's face after Ethan said that was one of such utter exultation that for a second I couldn't breathe properly. He looked like an angel right then, his eyes shining brightly and a wide grin on his face.

I was touched that Ethan's opinions on him mattered to Edward so much. Any doubts I might have had of Ethan and Edward getting along were washed away by this one moment.

I can't believe that Edward has missed the entire childhood of our son. All those irreplaceable father son moments that they could have experienced were gone forever. And it was all because of me.

For the first time, I truly regretted running away. Till now, I had always told myself that I had done what I did for Edward and his dreams. I had always thought that though I may have hurt those around me and the people who mattered to me the most, I was making the right choice.

Seeing Edward and Ethan together however, I realize how much I had robbed both Edward and Ethan of. Edward didn't know his son, and Ethan didn't know his father. If not for my chance meeting with Edward they never would have even known of each other's existence.

Neither of them asked for this. It's not like they were even given a choice in the matter. This was entirely my doing and I held myself completely responsible for the current situation. I promised myself to make it up to them. To both of them.

I now wished more than ever that I had given Edward a choice. I wish I had told him that I was pregnant. I wish I wasn't in this utterly screwed up mess right now.

I had led him to believe that I didn't love him. I could only imagine how much that hurt him. I was a cruel, cruel person and at the moment, I wanted nothing more than to set things straight.

Edward reached into his bag and pulled out a bar of chocolate.

"I got you something" he told Ethan.

Ethan reached out for the bar, but I was quicker.

"Don't even think about touching that young man" I said, glaring at Ethan.

Edward looked at me in confusion.

"Honestly, Bella! A little chocolate can't hurt, can it? Let the poor kid have it!" he said

"Oh really?" I countered. "I beg to differ"

I told him all about Alice and Ethan getting high on chocolate and his emerald eyes danced with amusement as I rambled on.

"This actually happened?" he asked.

"Of course it did! Do you think I would lie? You know what a bad liar I am!!" I exclaimed.

"How do you manage with these two?" he asked, curiously.

"It is quite a job" I said, while Alice said at the same time, "Coz we're so super duper great!"

"Sure you are" I drawled. "When monkeys can talk that is"

"Well, since you are talking, I guess I'm right" said Alice triumphantly.

"You did not just call me a monkey…" I began mock angrily, but gave in to laughter.

At this, for some odd reason, Alice burst out laughing too. Soon I was holding my sides from laughing so hard, while Alice was on the floor, unable to stop her giggles.

She tried to get up but fell back on her butt causing another bout of laughter from me, while she joined in.

Edward and Ethan looked at each other. Edward was probably freaked out but Ethan was used to this by now.

"Girls!" said Ethan, shaking his head. "They're all crazy"

This was so cute that it caused Alice and me to go into another giggling fit.

Edward stared at us, while Ethan sighed; knowing that anything he said at this point, would make us laugh even more.

Soon Alice and I managed to stop laughing. "Are you done?" asked Edward, humor faintly present in his voice.

I nodded pressing my lips together tightly, not trusting myself to speak. Finally I was able to breathe properly.

"Breathe in. Breathe out" I told myself repeatedly, determined not to start laughing again.

"Would you look at the time!" said Alice, in a fake British accent. "It's time for Ethan and me to leave now."

I rolled my eyes at this.

"Come on Ethan lets go. I'm sure that there are people who will appreciate my accent unlike your mother here. Hurry. We'll be late." she continued. Ethan hurriedly waved to Edward and me before being dragged out by Alice.

"Bye, Ethan" I called out but Alice had slammed the door shut before he heard me.

I looked at Edward who looked generally overwhelmed with by new 'house mates'. I raised my eyebrow asking him what he wanted to do.

His stomach emitted a grumble, answering my question.

He smiled sheepishly and said "Well, I was hoping I could eat breakfast here. You know I love your cooking, and I was sort of looking forward to it."

The teenager in me squealed, but to preserve some amount of dignity I refrained from screaming out loud.

Instead I opted for a cool "Sure. There's batter left over from the blueberry pancakes I made Alice and Ethan. Would you like some?" I asked.

"Yeah, that would be great. They are my favorite breakfast item"

So I had remembered correctly!! Go Bella!!!

I went to the kitchen and began making Edward's pancakes. He sat at the table, generally browsing through the books on the little side table next to it. He picked up my old tattered copy of _Wuthering Heights _and looked at it with surprise.

"You still have this?" he asked.

I blushed and looked away before he could see me.

Edward had gifted the book to me on my 15th birthday. At first I had found it depressing, but soon I grew to love the book. I had re-read it like a million times, hence the terrible condition.

However, I never replaced the book with a newer edition. I had realized that more than the book itself, I loved the fact that Edward had given it to me, and I will always treasure any happy memory I have shared with Edward.

That book helped me get through a lot of hard times, it was a source of comfort to me and I treasured it greatly.

I piled up the pancakes onto a plate and poured maple syrup all over it before handing it to Edward. Just how he liked it!

"Wow, Bella this is delicious" he said after finishing it up. He had eaten the meal in five minutes flat, like he hadn't eaten anything good in a long time.

He probably hadn't considering he can't cook to save his life, and hated takeout in any form. He probably survived on egg and toast, the only dishes he could make without causing harm to himself or those around him.

Let's just say there was an incident that had started of as baking a cake and ended in a bonfire.

"You looked like you were starving" I commented.

"Sure was" he replied before getting up and washing his dirty dishes. He had always insisted upon cleaning his own stuff.

"Well, lets get started" said Edward briskly. He pulled his suitcases over and unzipped them. He had neatly packed his clothes in one and his CD's in the other. How totally Edward! All he needed to survive were clothes and his CD's!

Alice had cleared out the spare room next to mine for Edward. I arranged his clothes in the wardrobe, while he carefully placed his CD's in alphabetical order on the adjacent shelves. I rolled my eyes at him, and he flashed back a grin.

Those CD's were like children to him. Wait, he already had a child- Ethan!

I walked to his suitcases to get the last of his stuff but suddenly tripped and fell on the bed. This wouldn't have been that embarrassing, except that I had managed to take Edward down with me.

The sudden contact with Edward made my skin tingle. Desire overcame me as I remembered how much I had missed out on, all these years.

It reaffirmed one thing- my love for Edward.

At that moment I decided that if Ethan and Edward got along fine for a little while and were comfortable living together, then I would tell Edward that I loved him.

I hastily got off Edward and continued arranging his clothes like nothing had happened. He didn't mention it either.

Well, why would he anyway? He's probably so over me and is just doing this whole living-in thing because he felt obligated to do so.

Oh my god! He's doing this because he thinks he has to! Since I didn't want to be an unnecessary burden to him I decided to ease his guilt.

"Edward." I said softly, but he heard me. He looked at me questioningly.

"You don't have to do this. I know you really don't want to be here. I don't what Ethan and I to be a burden to you …"

I stopped short, seeing the incredulous look on his face.

"Bella, do you really imagine that I'm here because I feel I have to be?" he asked.

I just nodded, fearing I would cry if he confirmed my suspicions were true.

"I'm not here because I have to be, I'm here because I want this, Bella. To be able to work things out with you. I don't think you realize how much I want this. I really do." he said earnestly.

I looked in his eyes and saw the truth there.

He wanted to work things out. Well, maybe he didn't love me, but at least he was giving me a chance! That's all I needed to hear, for now.

EPOV

"Bella, do you really imagine that I'm here because I feel I have to be?" I asked.

Her eyes were brimming with tears so I quickly reassured her.

"I'm not here because I have to be, I'm here because I want this, Bella. To be able to work things out with you. I don't think you realize how much I want this. I really do"

It was true. I really did want to work things out. Bella meant too much for me to let go, and I knew how it would hurt me to lose her again.

Ethan had also managed to captivate me in the brief period of time I had spent with him.. I couldn't wait to get to know him better, and spend some quality time with him. He was so adorable

Like mother, like son, I guess. They were the most important people in my life.

Last night, I had spent a long time trying to sort out my feelings.

I had finally realized the blindingly obvious truth.

_I still loved her._

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	8. Fast Food

**A/N: One more chapter, then reconstruction is officially over. Cheers!!!!**

**Review and let me know:**

**1. If you want more EPOV/APOV or if I should stick to BPOV**

**2. If you have any ideas for the story**

**3. How you liked the reconstruction.**

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EPOV

_I still loved her._

BPOV

_He wanted to work things out. Well, maybe he didn't love me, but at least he was giving me a chance! That's all I needed to hear, for now._

An awkward silence grew between us. I fidgeted with the hem of my top uncomfortably, which is my way of dealing with uneasy situations. Edward had a faraway look in his eyes and seemed to be deep in thought.

I looked up at Edward when I felt his gaze upon me. Sure enough those orbs of green were piercing me. We looked at each other for god knows how long.

Edward was the first one to break the silence.

"Bella, what do you want to do now?"

Before I said anything my stomach growled, giving him his answer.

I blushed, embarrassed. My hunger often tended to make unwelcome appearances.

"Looks like someone is a little hungry!" he teased.

I smiled. "Maybe." I replied.

He chuckled at this.

To my relief the light-heartedness in the atmosphere had returned once more.

"So, what do you want to eat?" he asked. "I know you're tired and you probably don't want you cook. What do you feel like having?"

"Anything is fine really" I said.

"How 'bout we grab something at the fast food joint" he asked.

"Fast food joint? Creative!" I scoffed.

"Sorry that we all can't be as _creative_ as you" he retorted, stressing on the creative.

At that we began to crack up and I fell onto the floor laughing (my clumsiness also tended to make very unwelcome appearances.) That was until my stupid stomach gave another loud rumble. See? This is what I mean by unwelcome!

"Let's gets going" said Edward. "You sound like you haven't eaten in forever"

"Can't it wait?" I asked not wanting to get up from where I was sitting.

"Bella" Edward said, warningly.

"Fine" I sighed, as he pulled me up. I tried to hide the shiver of pleasure that raced through my body at his touch. I heaved my body up and stretched.

Before leaving I took another look at the work we had done to Edward's new room. It looked a lot looked his old one, back at Forks. A wave of nostalgia washed over me.

Edward had already gone ahead to the front door, which he was now holding open for me.

Ever the gentleman. I could see why I had fallen for him.

I smiled at him and he flashed back a grin of his own. We went to the parking lot of our apartment. I looked around for his old car, a used Mustang, but could find it no where.

I heard the beeping of a car as he pressed some button on his key chain. To my surprise the car that responded was a silver Volvo. I realized that he must have finally bought one just like he had always wanted. It was his ultimate car dream, but he could never afford one.

I guess money was no longer an issue, for a doctor of his caliber. He held the passenger's door open for me before getting into the driver's seat. The interiors were beautiful as well, done in a plush cream. I looked around the car, admiringly.

"Like it?" Edward asked. "I bought it with my first salary"

Damn, doctors were paid a lot!!

"It's very nice" I said.

"Very nice?" he repeated, sarcastically. "It's much more than very nice. Take a look at the engine's power. It's an engineering marvel!"

"Whatever, Edward. You know I'm not into cars. Maybe you should speak to Rose about this stuff. Unlike me she'll actually understand what you're talking about."

"Who's Rose?" Edward asked curiously.

"Rose McCarty is one of my friends" I said. "She works as a model, but her dream is to own a car studio."

"Car showroom" corrected Edward.

"Like I said, whatever."

He rolled his eyes but said nothing. We drove a little further till we reached a Mc Donald's.

I ordered a veggie burger, and a smoothie. Edward on the other hand ordered two cheese burgers and a large fries. For himself.

"Wow!" I said. "You sure eat unhealthy for a doctor!" I remarked.

"Aren't doctors allowed to slack off for a while?' he asked feigning hurt.

I couldn't help smiling at that.

Edward didn't let me pay for my meal, he insisted upon paying for it himself. I tried to pay him back but then stopped myself, knowing it would offend him.

Edward took chivalry to a whole new level.

We waited at the counter for our food to arrive. Our server, a vivacious redhead, nearly dropped her tray at the sight of Edward. She smiled coyly, handed us our food and gave Edward a huge wink, while simultaneously glaring at me.

Talk about multi tasking. Ladies and gentlemen, we just might have a new world record here!!

Edward of course ignored her entirely, causing her to send daggers in my direction once more. If looks could kill, I would be one very dead person right now.

We sat down at our table and began to eat.

"What are you thinking about" Edward suddenly asked me.

He had this unique ability to read people. He said he always knew the gist of what they were thinking about. I was, apparently, an exception. He said that I was an exception and that I never ceased to surprise him.

"I'm thinking about……." I trailed off, knowing full well that he would get annoyed.

"What are you thinking about?" he asked frustrated.

"I'm thinking about how glad I am that you ignored that girl!"

"Whom?" he asked confused.

It was my turn to get frustrated.

"Edward!" I snapped. "Surely, you are not oblivious to the fact that every female in this room is practically drooling right now!"

"I know, the food here is great…" he stopped, seeing my glare. "What?" he asked.

That boy is a beauty but sometimes he has the brains of a rock.

"Not because of the food, genius. Because of you" I said, emphasizing the 'you' part while poking him with a French fry.

He just shrugged.

"Whatever" I muttered, for the millionth time today.

He drove us back home and we went into my _– _scratch that_-_ _our_ apartment.

I was just unlocking the door when my phone began to ring. I glanced at the caller ID and saw it was Alice.

"Hi Alice!" I said, answering the phone, while pushing the door open, and gesturing for Edward to go in.

"Hi Bella!" she chirped. "Guess what?"

"I won the lottery?" I asked.

"No." she snapped. "You didn't even enter the lottery, did you?"

"Umm… no but I read somewhere that the chances of winning a lottery are the same whether…"

"Stop messing with me, Bella" she nearly growled. "Anyway, what I called to say is that it's Rosalie and Emmett's anniversary today. They've invited us to dinner at some restaurant." she said

"Well, that's great but I think I'll pass. I don't want to leave Edward alone. Plus, I'm really tired." I said

"No! That's what I wanted to tell you. They've invited Edward as well. Ethan and I will be home in two hours so that we I can get you ready. And don't give me the whole 'I'm tired' crap. You're coming no matter what."

"Honestly Alice! It's Rose's anniversary not mine!!"

But the pixie had already hung up on me.

"I take it that you have plans for this evening" said Edward, while I glared at my phone.

"You do too" I said, simply. "Remember Rose? The car crazy friend I was talking to you about? It's her anniversary."

I told him about the dinner and he agreed to come. I went and plopped myself on the couch, and turned the TV on. He sat next to me. They were playing a 'Friends' rerun on the first channel I saw.

I giggled at their antics and I felt Edward shake with laughter beside me. I had probably watched this episode a million times, but it was still so funny.

Two hours must have passed by because I heard Alice fumbling with her keys at the door. She finally opened the door and came in with Ethan. I saw both Edward's and Ethan's eyes light up at the sight of each other.

I was amazed at how quickly they had grown to love one another. nOt to mention incredibly happy that they did.

"Hi Mommy! Hi Daddy" said Ethan.

I went to hug him while Edward smiled dotingly at his son.

"How was your day" asked Edward.

"Good" replied Ethan. "Aunty Alice and Aunty Rose went to some spa and Uncle Emmett, Aubrey and I played video games at the arcade."

Aubrey also shared Emmett's love for video games, much to Rose's dismay. "One video game addict I can handle, but two??" she always said.

"That's sounds like fun" said Edward causing Ethan to beam.

"Come, Bella!" said Alice. It's time to go get ready.

I groaned. I didn't try to argue though. That would be useless.

"First let me show you your dress" said Alice.

I hadn't noticed that she was holding a bag in her hands.

"I designed this especially for you" she said, pulling the dress out.

The dress was beautiful. It was electric blue, strapless and would come up to my thigh. **(A/N: Links on profile)**

"Go put it on" ordered Alice.

I went to my room and slipped on the dress. "Come in Alice" I yelled.

She was already changed into her dress. It was short, pink and strapless. So Alice! She sat me down on a chair and commenced my torture. Around 2 hours later she was done. I looked in the mirror and liked what I saw.

She had done my hair in soft waves and the ends were perfectly curled. She had kept the makeup natural, highlighting my eyes with mascara. All in all, she had done an amazing job.

"Thank you Alice!!" I said, to which she replied, "Anytime!!"

I was suspicious as to why she was dressing me up so much, but somehow I knew it was to impress Edward. She handed me a pair of sterling silver earrings, and I saw that she was already wearing a pair. I put it on and glanced at the clock. It was nearly 6.00. Time to leave!

Alice did her own makeup in less than 10 minutes!! That evil pixie!! I'm sure she prolongs my sessions just to annoy me.

Edward had meanwhile changed into a cream dress shirt over slacks. He looked WOW!

He had also apparently helped Ethan change and Ethan was wearing a miniature version of what Edward was. It was so cute!!

Edward and Ethan hadn't noticed that I was standing there yet. They were in their own world talking about some sort of car. I cleared my throat and they both looked up.

"Mommy you look pretty" said Ethan.

"No, she doesn't" said Edward causing my heart to sink. "She looks absolutely beautiful" he completed, making my heart rise all the way up again! I blushed (duh!!) and said, "You both don't look half bad yourselves"

"We try" said Edward, causing Ethan to laugh.

"Aunty Alice!! You look great too!" said Ethan causing her to beam. I'm telling you, Ethan was gonna be a real heartbreaker one day!! He's such a smooth talker.

We made our way down to Edward's Volvo as he had insisted upon driving.

He got into the driver's seat and I rode shotgun, while Alice and Ethan sat at the back.

Alice POV

I got into the back of Edward's Volvo (which looked great and all, but could never compare to my Porsche) and began to think hard.

I was so gonna get Bella and Edward back together. Those two were probably the most oblivious idiots I have met. They could have each tattooed their love for the other on their foreheads, but the other would still be blind to it.

Too bad I've got 20/20 vision. I could see their affection for one another so clearly. I'll think of some way for them to confess their undying love soon enough.

I suddenly had a strange feeling that this dinner was going to be a very eventful one.

You think I'm wrong?? Don't bet on it. Cause I'm Alice.

And I'm never wrong. Ever.

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**Remember to check out my profile for links to Alice and Bella's dresses and earrings.**

**This is the first time I tried APOV, so let me know if it was fine, or a total disaster.**

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	9. Anniversary Celebration

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight**

**A/N: THis is my longest chapter to date, over 3000 words!!**

**School has begun, so I'm back to weekly updates from daily ones. **

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_APOV_

_I suddenly had a strange feeling that this dinner was going to be a very eventful one._

_You think I'm wrong?? Don't bet on it. Cause I'm Alice._

_And I'm never wrong. Ever_

BPOV

Edward drove the car at least 20 miles faster than the speed limit, while Alice gave him continuous directions to the restaurant we were visiting. New York could be highly confusing if you didn't know your way around.

Alice, however, never had a problem with directions; she had been born and brought up in New York and knew the city like the back of her hand.

Edward generally loved going fast, just like Alice. I'm sure she made him take the more deserted roads, so that we wouldn't get stuck in traffic and could go faster.

"Edward, slow down will you?" I snapped. "I'm driving on the way back." Fast driving gave me the creeps. I was always afraid we would crash into a telephone pole or something. Also, when your father is a police chief, you tend to be a stickler for rules.

Edward just smirked and continued going at the present pace. "Bella, relax", he said. "It's not like I'm going to get us killed"

I beg to differ. Traffic accidents are the #3 cause of deaths. I decided to take a different approach. "Edward" I said, more gently this time, "Please go slower. I'm begging you"

Edward sighed, slightly annoyed, but he finally gave in and soon we were going at a remotely normal pace.

"Bella, you're no fun" whined Alice. "We really shouldn't take you anywhere"

I turned back and made a face at her but she seemed to be too lost in thought to notice Alice was behaving really strangely for some reason. She had a wide grin plastered on her face for the entire journey and seemed generally oblivious to her surroundings.

"Why are you smiling, Alice?" I asked, curious.

"Oh, it's nothing!" she replied. "I'm just looking forward to tonight, that's all"

I was skeptical about that but I said nothing.

Alice had this strange ability which she called 'female intuition', some people called 'psychic' and everyone else called 'bloody weird'. She got these 'feelings' whenever something exciting or out of the ordinary was about to occur.

Questioning her further on the subject would be futile, so I dropped it.

Ethan, meanwhile, was very quiet. He was staring intently out of the window. He loved the lights of the city in the evening and thought talking ruined their effect. Having been born here, Ethan loved New York City.

While, Alice was in her own grinning dream world, and Ethan was looking out of the window, Edward and I listened to a classical radio station. Had Alice been paying attention, she would have definitely mocked my taste in music.

I was quite the classics lover, having been influenced by Edward's taste in music.

The day's events had taken their toll on me, because I was feeling extremely fatigued all of a sudden.

I had apparently dozed of on the way because Edward shook me gently, telling me that we had arrived. He opened my door for me, and Ethan, imitating the gesture opened Alice's door for her.

Who knew that one day with Edward would be all it took to bring out the gentleman in Ethan!

The restaurant was some fancy Italian place. Rose loved Italian food and Emmett… well Emmett loved food in general, so it was perfect for them.

Alice was almost bouncing with excitement as we walked inside.

"What is up with you" I asked.

"Nothing", she said, a little too quickly

"Fine, don't tell me" I huffed, and she just shrugged. Weird!

We found Emmett and Rosalie sitting in a secluded corner along with Aubrey. Em looked unusually formal in a tux while Rose looked gorgeous, as usual, in a stunning red dress. She had her hair in an updo and wore beautiful diamond earrings.

Aubrey looked adorable in a fuchsia dress. Ethan looked extremely happy to see her. Looks like someone's getting a crush!

We sat down at their table, while I introduced Edward to them.

"Nice to meet you, Edward", Rose said, but before he could reply, Emmett crushed him in a bear hug. Edward looked slightly overwhelmed. Alice laughed lightly at his bewildered expression.

"Daddy!" said Aubrey. "You're gonna scare him away!"

A waiter came to take our order and we were in the process of deciding what we wanted when Rosalie's phone started to ring.

"I have to take that" she said apologetically. "Em, I'll just have a salad. I'll be right back". She went out to take the call.

Emmett grinned deviously and placed our order. I realized that instead of a salad he ordered pasta primavera for Rose.

"Emmett, didn't Rose want a salad" I asked him.

"I know. She's on some stupid diet, so I'm gonna make her eat, at least today", he said. I hoped for his sake that she wouldn't mind, else we might have a case of homicide in our hands. Yes, an angry Rosalie is one of the most dangerous things known to mankind.

Rose returned almost immediately with some news.

"My brother, Jasper said he was free today, so I invited him over here. If that's fine with you guys…"

"Sure…" we all mumbled.

"Great. He'll be here in a few minutes".

We chatted with each other for a while, waiting for the food to arrive. Edward and Rosalie were having a heated argument about some sort of car engine.

Ethan was whispering a secret into Aubrey's ear and she was giggling. I smiled at the sight.

Em and I were discussing some video game I always managed to beat him in and Alice sat unusually silent, making no effort to join any of the conversations. She suddenly sat up straight, unnaturally so, when a tall, lanky man entered the restaurant.

His resemblance to Rose was unmistakable. He had the same classic good looks, with his messy blonde hair and clear blue eyes. He was dressed casually in jeans and a button up shirt. He looked around searching for Rose, and she waved him over.

I suddenly noticed the change in Alice's expression. She was blushing and looked like she was going to faint. Now I get it! This is what the little pixie has been waiting for all this while.

APOV

I could feel it in the air. Something was going to happen…

Then he walked in. He looked like a god. Brilliant. Radiant. Perfect.

His blonde hair was messily arranged and partially covered eyes. His lovely electric blue eyes. They glanced my way momentarily, and I swear he saw right through me. I blushed uncharacteristically.

He was tall, over 6 feet, and looked very fit. He wore jeans and a slightly unbuttoned shirt that showed of his toned upper body. I had the sudden urge to touch him.

It took me a moment to see he was coming our way. I realized that he must be Jasper. Now that I think about it, I can't believe I had failed to see his striking resemblance to Rose.

Rose waved him over and he sat down at the only available seat, next to me!! He smelled heavenly, like musk. I was in paradise.

I was very surprised with myself. No guy had ever affected me like this before. I had had my fair share of dating experience, but he was so… so different from the rest.

"This is my brother Jasper" said Rosalie. Jasper briefly nodded at everyone.

"Hi, I'm Alice" I said, introducing myself, and sticking out my hand for him to shake. He hesitantly shook it and I felt a thrill go up my spine when his skin touched mine. To my delight he held my hand, a little longer than necessary saying, "Pleasure to meet you, Alice"

Our order finally arrived, and Emmett had had the foresight to order an extra pasta, incase Jasper could make it.

He had switched Rose's order for a salad with one for a calorie-rich pasta but she didn't seem to mind too much. Thank god, for him.

Jasper and I pretty much ignored everyone else throughout the meal, and talked (read: flirted) exclusively with each other.

It turns out that he had been living in Texas, but Rose had convinced him to move here, to New York. He said worked as a lawyer, but also owned a ranch back in Texas.

Meanwhile, I told him about my aspirations to build a fashion house, and how far I still had to go to achieve my dream. When I told him my father's company, he recognized the name at once and said that he had worked on a case with my father pertaining to some sort of land issue.

Talking about daddy, I'm sure he'll approve of Jasper, especially considering my track record of boyfriends. Let's just say daddy will always have something against punks in general.

Ethan and Aubrey were giggling madly at the sight of us flirting and I signaled for them to shut up, but Ethan yelled, "Aunty Alice is gonna have a _boy_friend" dragging out the boy part.

"And Uncle Jazz is gonna have a girlfriend" trilled Aubrey.

I was beyond embarrassed, but what I did not expect was Jasper's calm reply.

"Maybe" was all he said, but the single word sent me into a frenzy. I was already set to plan our wedding.

See? I knew tonight was going to be special. And it was.

Cause I'm Alice. And I'm never wrong.

Now the only problem left is Bella and Edward… Oh well! I'll think about them later!

The only person I'm going to be focusing on for a while is Jasper Whitlock.

BPOV

Since the time he had arrived, the only person Jasper spoke to was Alice. She did most of the talking (surprise! Not) while he seemed satisfied to just sit and stare at her.

I couldn't help smiling when I heard Jasper's reply to Aubrey and Ethan's comments. Alice looked so happy I thought she might burst.

At one point, during dessert Emmett pulled a red rose out of his pocket and dropped to one knee.

"A rose for my Rose" was his corny line, but he received the intended response when Rosalie threw arms around him and kissed him then and there.

Em had a goofy smile for the rest of the time we were there and he kept whispering in Rosalie's ears. Eww. I don't want to even think about what he was saying. (Shudders)

Edward didn't say much during the meal, I think he was as tired as I am. I stared at him while he was eating, thinking how amazing it was that I had only met him again two days ago, but he was, so quickly, a central part of my life once more.

Aubrey begged for me to let Ethan stay over at her house, and the combined effort of her pleading and my fatigue caused me to give in.

Jasper and Alice looked reluctant to leave each other's company and only got up from the table after subtle throat clearing from Rose and not so subtle shoving from Emmett. They finally settled for swapping numbers, and the promise of meeting up soon.

Alice, Edward and I got into his Volvo, and no matter what I said, he absolutely refused to let me drive. Alice was squealing practically the whole way home.

"OH MY GOSH!! HE"S SOO PERFECT. AND SO HOT" she yelled. I felt bad for Edward. At least I could cover my ears. He couldn't even do that because he was driving.

Anyway, serves him right. He should have let me drive.

Alice finally calmed down a bit when Edward pulled over and refused to start the car again until Alice stopped screaming. She reduced her volume, but that didn't stop her from rambling on and on about Jasper.

At one point, and no I'm not joking, she asked me, "Bella, you'll be my Maid Of Honor, won't you?"

"Huh" I asked, slightly worried for her sanity.

"At mine and Jazzy's wedding, silly!" she continued, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world

Jazzy? How the heck did Jasper become Jazzy? And why was she planning a freaking wedding??

These were the very intellectual questions that ran through my mind.

Edward looked generally freaked out by the turn the conversation had taken, but chose, wisely, to say nothing.

He had miraculously managed to navigate back to Alice's apartment without any instructions (she was too busy rambling, remember?) Actually, it was because of a magical little technology called GPRS.

Anyway, the point I'm trying to make here is that we eventually reached Alice's apartment and I practically sprinted towards the door in a bid to get into the house and out of this stupid dress as soon as possible.

Don't get me wrong. Much as I love Alice's designs I prefer my good ole sweats any day.

Edward and I went into our respective rooms to change. Alice's cell phone started ringing so she stayed in the hall to answer the call. It took me less than two minutes to change; I was so used to Alice forcing me into various dresses.

I went to the hall, and Alice had just finished her call. She began shrieking loudly, like she always does after she gets good news in a call. Edward however, didn't know her shriek was a normal occurrence, so he rushed out of his room, to the hall, thinking that something had happened to us.

The thing is, Edward was changing halfway. So, he had rushed to the hall in nothing but his boxers. Yum! My eyes began to roam his body shamelessly. They traced the smooth contours of his perfectly toned chest and I nearly swooned then and there.

The marble sculpture he called his body, was a sight I had sorely missed, all these years. I drunk in the view of his beautiful body like someone dying from thirst in the Sahara.

Bad analogy, but you know what I mean!

Edward eventually realized that Alice and I were okay. He also realized his rather limited clothing. He blushed very slightly, but his skin was so pale that it was quite noticeable. He mumbled something under his breath, which sounded somewhat like an apology, before fleeing into his room.

When he was safely out of earshot, Alice whistled softly and said, "Looks like _someone_ enjoyed the view. I can't say that I blame you. He has such a hot body! Of course, I'm sure you and his body are very good friends!!"

It was now my turn to blush. I tried to change the topic quickly.

"Anyway, who was on the phone?" I asked.

"Jasper" she replied, unabashedly.

I should have known. Who else could have caused such a reaction in Alice!

"He said he missed my voice already and couldn't wait to see me in person again." She continued. "He asked me out for tomorrow. He's just so perfect!"

Alice was smiling so brightly, that one couldn't help but feel happy for her. My happy go lucky best friend had been on a lot of dates, but has never been in a serious relationship before. She totally deserved someone who cared about her, and looked after her.

No man has ever managed to make Alice commit to a relationship before, but Jasper just might be the one to do it!

My phone vibrated and I picked it up. I had received a text message from Mr. Cullen. He said that I had to go to work tomorrow, and that he would mail me a report, because some project had come up suddenly.

By this time Edward had emerged from his room once again, now (sadly) fully dressed. Alice said that she was going to her room to pick an outfit for her date, and knowing Alice, that might take a long time!!

I wasn't ready to sleep yet, and apparently neither was Edward. We stayed up watching a movie, but half way through my eyes began to close of their own accord. Not wanting to fall asleep on the couch, I forced myself to get up.

Edward was watching the movie with a lot of interest so I had to wave my poke him to get his attention. He turned around, raising his eyebrow questioningly.

"I feel very sleepy" I said, yawning. "I think I better get to bed. Mr. Cullen texted me saying I have work tomorrow"

"Who's Mr. Cullen?" he asked

"Richard Cullen. He's my boss and owns the real estate company I work in" I replied

"You work in Real Estate?" he asked, surprised. "I thought you wanted to get into journalism!"

I was about to reply when I yawned once more.

"I'm sorry, Bella. I'm keeping you up, aren't I. You go sleep now, we have plenty of time to talk later" said Edward.

His next move had me taken aback. He leaned over and kissed me on the cheek, before whispering, "Goodnight Bella" softly, into my ear.

I walked giddily to my room, a combined effect of my drowsiness and the innocent kiss.

I could hear Alice on the phone, presumably with Jasper. She was giggling softly. Lucky Alice!!!

I fell into my bed groggily and fell asleep almost instantly.

_In the middle of the night I swear I felt Edward's soft lips on my forehead. I smiled in my sleep._

EPOV

I kissed her goodnight on her cheek, but it took everything in me not to do so full on the lips. I watched her go to her room, and then continued with my movie.

Once it was done, I went back to my room to go to sleep. I lay awake tossing and turning for two hours. Something didn't feel right.

I finally got up and went into Bella's room. I kissed her softly on the forehead before going back to bed.

_I fell asleep at once, a smile upon my face._

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**I'm looking to enter my story into a community. If you have or know of one which will accept my story PM me!!**

**Phew!! That took me a while to write!!**

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	10. A Case Of The Flu

**Disclaimer: I own nothing**

**A/N: This is slightly shorter than normal so I apologize!**

**NOTE TO melmel1223: I can't PM you, coz the feature is disabled in your profile, and I don't know your e-mail address. **

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BPOV

_In the middle of the night I swear I felt Edward's soft lips on my forehead. I smiled in my sleep._

There is one sound universally hated by human beings all over the world. Whether in New Delhi or (as in my case) in New York, we humans have grown up absolutely detesting this sound.

And this sound is, of course, the beeping of an alarm clock.

As usual it was to this unpleasant sound that I awoke the following morning. Glaring at the alarm clock like it actually made a difference I tried, in vain, to get the infernal noise to stop. I eventually managed to pull myself out of bed and headed straight to the bathroom.

I groggily brushed my teeth and splashed cold water on my face so as to not closely resemble The Living Dead, as I did in my current state. The icy water stung my cheeks causing me to open my eyes properly.

As I stared at my own reflection in the mirror, I was surprised at the subtle changes I could see.

Nothing drastic, my eyes had remained the same old brown, as had my hair, but there were little changes. The worry lines, which used to be etched lightly upon my forehead, had disappeared, and my usually pale face looked healthy. I just looked _happy_ for once.

The cause for these changes was evident.

Edward.

His presence done me so much good, and every moment with him reinforced the fact that I needed him. My love for him only grew more with each passing day. I may have thought along the same lines when I was eighteen, but it was only now that I had realized his true worth, and how much he meant to me.

_Absence makes the heart grow fonder._

It was agony for me to be within a few meters of him and not grab him and kiss him like I wanted to. If only I could touch him like I wanted to. If only I could tell him that I loved him, like I wanted to. However my greatest enemy, self doubt, was winning this battle.

"_What if he doesn't feel the same, Bella", my subconscious whispered. "You'd only ruin your existing relationship with him. You don't want that, do you? Remember how broken you were last time?"_

Involuntarily, my eyes wet up. A teardrop ran down my cheek, and I wiped it away. I knew I didn't deserve him, and the additional pain of living with him, without telling him how I felt, was self inflicted torture.

I cleared my head of my increasingly negative thought by shaking it violently, until it started to throb. I washed my face once more to remove any sign of my tears, and then went to wake Ethan up.

On the way to Ethan's room, I peeked into Edward's room and saw that he was still asleep. He had an angelic smile firmly placed upon his face. It was truly a sight to behold. I went past his room and into Ethan's.

I shook Ethan gently. He didn't wake up, which was unusual, because he normally got up instantly. Frustrated I pulled the blankets off him, and called out to him softly.

"Wake up, Eth. You have to go to school"

It took me a whole ten minutes to finally wake him up. Drowsily he said, "Mommy. I want to go back to sleep. I don't feel so good."

"What's wrong, sweetie?" I asked, concerned.

"I dunno. It hurts all over" he replied.

I felt his forehead and to my surprise it was flaming.

"You really are sick, baby. Why don't you just lie here while I go and make you some soup. I'll get Edward to check you up"

"Daddy" corrected Ethan.

"I'll get _daddy _to check you up" I repeated. Though I didn't show it, I was thrilled that Ethan was already used to having a dad.

Edward was still asleep in his room. I shook him hard till he woke up.

"Why are you pushing me, Bella?" he asked, sleepily.

"Wake up! There's a huge emergency. Ethan is really ill." I said, incoherently.

"Calm down, Bella. Now repeat that slowly. What's wrong?"

"It's Ethan. He's really sick. He may even have to be hospitalized. He says that he doesn't feel well, and that his body hurts all over. And his forehead is really hot. I'm worried about him"

To my surprise, and utter indignation, Edward laughed. Not even just a smile, nope he outright chortled.

"What's funny?" I asked, peeved. "I'm sorry if you find it entertaining that my baby is seriously unwell but I don't!"

Edward stopped laughing and said, "It's not that, Bella. From the symptoms you just described I think all Ethan has got is a case of the flu. Let me go check."

He went to Ethan's room and saw Ethan lying on the bed, asleep. He woke him up to check his temperature, pulse and general body condition and then let him go back to sleep. He declared triumphantly, "See! I told you! It's just the flu."

"I still don't see the joke" I said, sorely.

"The joke is, quite literally, you. Or rather, the way you reacted just because Ethan had a slightly higher temperature than normal. One would have thought he was nearly dying the way you made to out to be."

"Fine. Maybe I did over react a bit" I admitted. "It's just that Ethan never gets sick. Anyway, we can't all be world class doctors can we?"

Edward rolled his eyes and said, "You have work today, don't you?"

"Shit. I forgot all about that. What about Ethan?"

"Ethan better stay at home today, or he may spread his germs. I'll stay here and take care of him" said Edward.

"Don't you have to go to the hospital?" I asked.

"I worked overtime to cover for Dr. Louis when he needed some time off. I'm sure he'll return the favor."

"Okay, great. Ethan will be thrilled to spend some time with you. I better get ready for work. I'm running late. As usual"

Saying thus, I ran to my room to shower, and then changed into a fitted blouse and a pencil skirt. Hastily, I tie my hair in a bun, put on some lipstick and voila! I was ready for work.

Grabbing my purse, and slipping on a pair of black flats, I yelled goodbye to Edward, and literally sprinted out of the house. I hailed the first cab I saw, and urged the poor driver to go at least 40 miles above the speed limit.

Yeah, yeah. I know. I'm afraid of speeding. What can I say? Desperate times call for desperate measures!

I reached work just on time (as usual, again) clocked in, and went to my desk. I switched on my computer and switched on the internet. While I waited for the computer to start up, I visited the blessed coffee machine, and drank up the delightful brown liquid with obvious relish.

I returned to my desk and loaded up my mail. Sure enough, there it was. A mail from Mr. Cullen, with details for my new project. He had managed to acquire a nice two bedroom apartment in downtown Manhattan, but wanted to me to sell it as quickly as possible, because he had received a hint from his agent that the prices were going to drop steeply.

If I didn't manage to sell the house by today, I would cause Mr. Cullen a considerable loss of money.

However, we weren't the only ones being tipped off by real estate agents, so I had to find a really naïve buyer, if I hoped to sell the apartment. This was easier said than done, because New York is full of business savvy people. I had to convince someone to put down a cart load of money for a dud project.

This is why I didn't like this industry. People tended to get hurt because of a highly competitive environment. My job was to persuade someone to possibly put down their life savings, on a dud apartment. Mr. Cullen thrived on these deals, while my stomach turned at the very thought of them.

Don't get me wrong. Mr. Cullen is a wonderful person, but a brutal business man. That's the NYC way. You have to be ruthless to get ahead.

That's why my dream career was something different – I wanted to be a journalist. Not a celebrity journalist, but one who reported _real _stories. Stories that could make a difference and change people's lives.

When I initially came to New York, this was obviously out of question, as was desperate to find a job, and couldn't afford to be too picky about what work came my way. A lot of people would kill to have my job, so I didn't complain. However, I've often thought about pursuing journalism once Ethan completes his education.

So, where were we before I began this rant? That's right! I had to sell this apartment.

I finally managed to find a Mr. Scott who agreed to buy the apartment, after around half an hour of persuasion. I didn't feel too bad for selling him an apartment whose value would soon go drastically down, because he was very rich in the first place and the loss wouldn't set him back too badly.

I wonder how Edward is doing with Ethan…

EPOV

Bella rushed out of the house, looking fabulous (as usual) in her work outfit. I was left in the house, with a sleeping five year old boy, whom I had no idea whatsoever to do with.

Oh! And this sleeping boy also happened to be my son!

_This was going to be interesting…_

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**Everybody go AWW!! How ever is Edward going to face the challanges of being a dad?**

**Find out in the next chapter!!**

**And till then...REVIEW!**


	11. Father And Son

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight**

**A/N: I'm so excited!! I finally got this chapter up. I worked really hard on it =)**

**I'd like to thank everyone who gave me suggestions. I'm sorry for those ideas I haven't been able to use!**

**Onto the story now!!!**

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EPOV

If there was one characteristic quality about me that was certain, it would be that I was never one for wasting time. This was mainly because I seldom had the time to waste. I was a complete workaholic, and my job was very demanding. Being one of the top doctors of a hospital was certainly no laughing matter.

I was on the beck and call of my patients 24/7. I never had a free moment for myself, but I still thoroughly enjoyed my lifestyle. Sitting around, doing nothing got on my nerves like nothing else could.

Yet that was precisely what I found myself doing, once Bella came back into my life. Take the present situation for example. I was watching the sleeping form of a little boy with great fascination.

I was a doctor for Pete's sake! A sleeping boy hardly constituted a biological miracle, as one would assume was the case judging by the way I was looking at him. Nope. There was nothing extraordinary about him.

_Barring the fact that he was mine. _

_My little boy!_

_My son!_

I couldn't even think those words without a wide grin appearing on my face. The past week seemed so surreal. First, my transfer to New York, then my meeting with Bella, and finally the discovery of a son I never knew I had. It had been one heck of a week.

Thinking about it now, I finally realized why I was so hesitant to just let loose and enjoy myself. Why I never dated another girl since Bella's disappearance from Forks.

It was because of the walls I had subconsciously built around myself. Contrary to Bella's belief I was not completely unaware of, conceited as this may sound, the numerous girls hitting on me. What she didn't realize was that they meant nothing to me.

How could I even spare them a second glance when I had my beautiful angel right before me? The only person whom I wasn't immune to was Bella.

Seeing her four days ago at the hospital brought down all the walls I had worked so hard to build. Never before had I felt so _vulnerable. _Bella had so much power over me, and there was nothing I could do about it. The thought that she could break my heart all over again was frightening.

I looked at Ethan and saw him stirring slightly. I was determined to be a good father to him. I had missed out on so much, but I was eager to make up for lost time.

He suddenly yawned, stretched widely and squinted open his eyes.

"Mommy" he called out sleepily. "Mommy!! Where's mommy?"

"Mommy's at work, so I'll be taking care of you today" I said.

He opened his eyes fully, and looked at me for a second. Then he shrugged lightly and said, "Okay!" before pushing the bed sheets off his body.

"What would you like to do now?" I asked.

His growling stomach answered for him. I couldn't help chuckling, as I remembered the same thing had happened with Bella yesterday.

"What happened" Ethan asked. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing." I said. "I was thinking you're just like Bella". He frowned at that as if he found that piece of information extremely insulting.

"I don't want to be like mommy!!" he whined. "Mommy's a girl!!!"

"Okay…." I said slowly. "Then whom do you want to be like?"

"You" he said, without hesitation. "When I grow up, I'm gonna be _just _like you"

It's astonishing how a five-year-old's innocent words can have such an impact on my emotions, but they did. I'm sure I looked like I had just won a lottery. It touched me so much that Ethan was so willing to include me in his life, though I had only known him for a few days.

Today's importance finally dawned upon me. My interaction with Ethan would determine any future I might have with Bella. It was of utter necessity that I did not mess this up; otherwise I could kiss my relationship with Bella goodbye.

Ethan's stomach growled once more bringing me back to reality.

"Okay champ, time to eat." I said, lifting him up and carrying him to the kitchen. He giggled and tried to break free of my grip. I placed him gently on the kitchen platform.

"What would you like?" I asked.

"Pancakes" Ethan said at once.

I had no idea how to make a pancake, but honestly, how hard could it be? I tried to recall one of the numerous times Bella or my mom had made me pancakes.

Eggs! Pancakes definitely had eggs, so that was my first ingredient. I took out three eggs from the refrigerator. What else did you put in a pancake??

As if he could hear my thoughts, Ethan said, "Daddy! You need flour!"

"I knew that" I said immediately, before spooning out some flour into a big bowl. Then I broke the eggs and mixed its contents, shells and all with the flour. I mixed it all together with a large spoon, and added water to make it more liquid.

I ended up with a highly suspicious looking concoction, to which I added some vanilla and blueberry essence.

Finally I poured this mixture onto a saucepan, set the stove's intensity on HIGH, and placed the saucepan on the stove.

"There. All done!' I said cheerfully. 'Cooking is _so_ easy"

Ethan looked like he was about to say something, but kept quiet. Instead a tiny frown made its way onto his face.

"Don't look so worried. I'm sure it will taste great" I said.

I should have never said that. Because a strange smell suddenly filled the air.

"Daddy, look at what happened to the goop!" Ethan yelled out.

Sure enough, the 'goop' as Ethan had christened it, was emitting black vapors, and smelled _awful_.

I looked at the charred remains of the pancake dejectedly, before turning of the gas and scraping of the blackened particles from the saucepan. However, the saucepan looked like it could never me used again, so I threw it.

_Note to self: Buy Bella a saucepan._

"Hey Ethan!" I said. "How about a peanut butter and jelly sandwich?"

He nodded unsurely. "Are you sure you can handle it daddy?" he asked.

Come on! Even _I _can't mess up a PB&J!

"Yes Ethan. I can handle it" I said, in what I hoped was a reassuring voice. I then pulled out a loaf of bread from the cupboard, and Ethan handed me the peanut butter and jelly. We made the sandwiches, and breakfast passed without further incident.

Okay…maybe a little peanut butter fell on Bella's white rug, which will never be the same again, but accidents happen, right??

_Note to self: Send Bella's rug to the dry cleaner._

Ethan then began a sneezing fit, so I ran to the storage closet to find him some tissue paper. I fumbled with the box, managed to pull out a few sheets, and literally shoved them onto Ethan.

Once he stopped coughing, and I wiped his nose clean, I threw the tissue paper, and ran to the bathroom to wash my hands with disinfectant.

What else did you expect?? So, I'm a doctor. Sue me.

Back in the hall, I saw Ethan pulling out two video game controllers, and inserting a CD in his gaming console.

"Daddy, you wanna play?" Ethan asked. I looked down in embarrassment.

I (this is your cue to laugh) have never played a video game in my entire life. Not one. But I couldn't tell my son that now, could I? Fathers are looked upon as role models, and honestly which little boy could be truly proud of a dad who couldn't even play a video game.

I couldn't say that I had never played before. So I did the next best thing. I lied.

"Ethan….umm actually there's a ….umm problem with my thumb so … I can't strain it playing video games."

"Really?" Ethan asked, with an innocence that broke my heart. I nodded solemnly.

"Okay, I'll play by myself then" he said sadly.

Well, call me a push over, but he had me right there. "I was just kidding" I said. "Of course I'll play with you."

Ethan's eyes lit up and he handed me a controller.

"Okay, how do I play?" I asked him

"You shoot the bad guys, collect the gold coins, eat the fruits for health, use your money to buy bullets and other stuff and….that's it, I think. X is to shoot and Y is to kick. The arrow marks are for moving. Daddy, did you get all that?" he rambled.

"Actually, no" I said. "But I'll manage.

_Five minutes later_

_GAME OVER._

_Winner: Ethan67 _

_Loser: Daddy Edward_

_Ten minutes later_

_GAME OVER._

_Winner: Ethan67 _

_Loser: Daddy Edward_

_Fifteen minutes later_

_GAME OVER._

_Winner: Ethan67 _

_Loser: Daddy Edward_

_Twenty minutes later_

Oh, alright. You get it don't you. I lost every game, to my five year old son.

"Don't worry, daddy" Ethan said. "I'm really good at this game. Mommy can't beat me either."

"Is there anyone who can beat you?" I enquired curiously.

"Nope" he replied quickly. Too quickly. I simply stared at him until he caved.

"Fine" he sighed. "There is one person. But before I tell you, you must promise not to tell anyone. It's the biggest secret."

"I promise not to tell." I said solemnly.

"Aubrey." he muttered so quietly, I almost didn't hear him.

"You mean Rosalie's kid?" I asked. He nodded. I had to purse my lips together hard, so as to not burst out laughing. Only a five year old could attach such significance to something so irrelevant.

"Daddy, I'm bored", Ethan whined.

"Well, you're also sick. You really need to rest now" I said, my doctor's instincts kicking in.

"But daddy" he begun, dragging out the 'daddy' part.

I never got to hear him finish that sentence, because the phone began to ring.

"Hello?" I said impatiently, not even bothering to look at the caller id to see who it was.

"Hi Edward" said the person on the line, sounding very amused.

"Alice??"

"Yup, it's me", she said cheerfully.

"Is it just me or are you more high than usual?"

"You silly boy! I can never be high. I'm not even 5 feet"

"That's not what I meant" I began, when I realized she was just messing with me. "Okay, why did you call?"

"Can't I just call my future brother in law for fun?"

"How am I your future brother in law?" I asked.

"Umm…duh! Bella's like my sister, and if you had any nerve, you'd be married to her very soon!"

I was quiet for a while. She had a point there.

"Alice! I love her. And I really don't know what to do about it." I said quietly. "She means everything to me, and I don't want to mess this up"

Ethan's ears perked up at this comment and to my utter surprise he started to cry.

Great. Just great.

As if I don't have enough problems, now my son hates me. I can't believe he would be so repulsed by the fact that I love Bella that he would cry.

_Now what do I do?_

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	12. Fashion Shows And Bargains

**I'm on a roll now! I'll try putting up a new chapter soon!**

**Read, and enjoy. Mainly APOV and some EPOV.**

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**APOV**

I sat at my desk, pencil in hand, staring thoughtfully at the blank white sheet before me. A few swift strokes later, a basic strapless dress had appeared on the page. I frowned thoughtfully at my work, and proceeded to add a few details to various parts of the dress, while simultaneously designing a handbag to go with it.

I held my sketch at arm's length, and scowled before crumpling the sheet with a single hand, and tossing it into the strategically placed wastebasket close by. The cuckoo clock I had found so adorable just one week ago, annoyed me constantly with its incessant chirpings every half hour, reminding me of my constantly nearing deadline.

As it did now. Against my better judgment, I looked up at the offending contraption to see what time it was. Nine a.m. Already!! I contemplated breaking the darn clock but decided against it.

I had woken up at five this morning and gotten to my office by six, so as to get started on my project. It was the biggest one of my career and I had told no one of it. Cheryl Williams, a respected fashion guru, had gotten in touch with me a week ago. She was the writer of a popular yearly article in Vogue, where the feature 'Top 5 new designers of the year', and she said she was considering putting me on that list.

I was required to have ten outfits ready by this evening, along with one additional 'centre piece' which would be the deciding factor in the selection process. Inspired by Bella's dislike for uncomfortable (yet fashionable clothing) I had designed a range of comfortable, yet great looking clothes.

Going with basic pastel shades, I emphasized in my designs that less could be more. The only problem I had, was with my centre piece. I had all my other designs ready, but now my creative flow had just run dry. I was fully aware that this opportunity could make or break my career.

I knew that the chances of being chosen were quite low. Cheryl had told me straight away that she was considering around fifty other designers, so she didn't want me to get my hopes up. It was one thing to be disappointed in myself, but I didn't want to disappoint my friends, so I hadn't told even Bella about what could be my big break.

I made up a date with Jasper to explain my nervous demeanor, and instead of picking out clothes for my 'date', I had been choosing what designs to use for today. Jasper did text me later that night, but he asked me out only for the next week. He said he was very busy with work, which worked out well since I was busy too!

I heard the door of my studio opening, and I saw Jessica enter. She had the brains of a sea weed, but she was good at what she did, and had a great sense of fashion. Her job was to get my creations from paper to cloth. She didn't know about the vogue article either, she just knew that for some reason she was being suddenly overworked.

"Hey Alice" she said. She was carrying a bag in her hand which she promptly dumped on my desk. "These are the dresses you wanted made" she explained, before strutting of to her desk.

I took them out, and examined each carefully. Like I said, Jessica was good at what she did. I couldn't find a single slip up on any of the dresses. I hung them carefully on a rack, because these would be a part of the display today.

I had to drive down to Cheryl's studio today, where my creations would be displayed on the ramp. Well, not just mine. Around ten other designers were being considered today. I was confident of my designs, but my centre piece still eluded me.

Where had that seemingly endless creative flow I had in my teens gone? I used to document my designs in albums which I still preserved to date. Suddenly, I had a brain wave.

"Jessica" I called out. "Can you get my old albums out for me?"

She went to the cupboard with all my designs, and pulled out what I was looking for. I eagerly took the albums from her, before going through my old designs. Not all of them were good, but a few of them were amazing (if I do say so myself!). I flipped through the albums till I found something that would go with the rest of my work.

Finally, I found the perfect piece, a dress I had designed when I was around fifteen. It was a bit crude, but with a little work, it would be just what I needed. I copied my design onto a fresh piece of paper, changing a few details here and there. I looked proudly at my work, and for the first time today didn't have the urge to throw my work away.

The accessories for the dress were relatively easy to design. Once I was completely satisfied with my work, I handed it over to Jessica, so that she could get it stitched.

"I'm sorry I've been working you so hard this week" I suddenly said. "You can take the next week off to make up for it."

"Thank you Alice!" she said and hugged me, before going out to get my dress done. Once she had left, I slumped onto the closest chair. I was mentally drained, and this past one week had taken a lot out of me. I was normally full of energy, but this was too much even for me.

I sat there for a while, before getting up and looking at my designs once more. I realized that I was over obsessing, so I decided to call Bella to take my mind off work.

I dialed her number out, waiting impatiently for her to answer.

"Hi Alice!" she finally said.

"Hey Bells. I'm bored. Entertain me please"

She laughed, before saying "Sorry Alice, but I'm at work right now, so I can't talk much. Why don't you call Edward? He's at home with Ethan."

"How come Ethan isn't at school?" I asked.

"He was feeling sick this morning, so the doctor volunteered to baby sit!"

"Aww! That's adorable!" I gushed.

"So, are you all set for your big day?" she asked.

For a moment I froze, before realizing that she was referring to my alleged date with Jasper.

"Yep! I can't wait" I lied smoothly. I heard someone calling her in the background. She hurriedly apologized to me, saying she had to go, before putting the phone down.

Great! Now whom do I talk to? I decided to take Bella's suggestion and call Edward. It could be entertaining, I guess, and I was already getting along well with him. Besides, the sexual tension between him and Bella was driving me insane and I wished they would do something about it.

Maybe I could persuade him to make the first move. I dialed out the house number.

"Hello?" said Edward sounding annoyed, picking up the phone almost immediately.

"Hi Edward!" I said, amused. Maybe he had thought I was a salesperson or something.

"Alice?" he asked sounding surprised.

"Yup, it's me", I said cheerfully.

"Is it just me or are you more high than usual?" he asked. I decided to mess around with him a little

"You silly boy!" I crowed. "I can never be high. I'm not even 5 feet" I said, pretending to be offended.

"That's not what I meant" he began, before realizing that I wasn't serious. "Okay, why did you call?"

"Can't I just call my future brother in law for fun?"

"How am I your brother in law?" he asked. For a doctor, that boy sure is dense. Guess I'll just have to spell it out for him.

"Umm…duh! Bella's like my sister, and if you had any nerve, you'd be married to her very soon!" I said, frustrated.

He was quiet for a while.

"Alice! I love her. And I really don't know what to do about it' he finally said. "She means everything to me, and I don't want to mess this up"

Before I could reply, however, I heard the sound of someone crying.

"Edward, why is Ethan crying?" I asked, worried.

"I don't know" said Edward. I heard Ethan suddenly shout "I hate you, Daddy!"

"Edward! Give the phone to Ethan, please" I said. I guess he did because the next thing I heard was a sniffing noise, and a weak "Hello"

"Hi Ethan' I said gently. "Will you stop crying, and tell Aunty Alice what wrong?"

"I hate Daddy!" he stated.

**EPOV**

"I hate Daddy" he stated, and my heart shattered. What had I done to cause this sudden change in behavior?

He was quiet for a while. I assume Alice asked him why he hated me (That's what I wanted to know too) because he said, "He said he loves someone else. But I want him to love Mommy!"

I was so relieved I almost laughed. He was only upset because he thought that Bella was not the one I loved. Oh! If only he knew how wrong he was.

Ethan soon handed the phone back to me, wiping his tears away.

"Good luck Eddy" was all Alice said before hanging up. Ethan stood before me, his head down, looking very embarrassed.

"I'm sorry I said I hated you daddy" he said. "I thought you didn't love mommy"

"I love your mother very, very much" I assured him.

"Mommy loves you too" Ethan said matter of factly.

"You think so?" I asked hopefully.

"I'm sure of it" he said confidently.

"But if you both love each other, how come you never kiss?" he suddenly asked. "In all the movies I've seen they always kiss if they love each other".

I hesitated to answer.

"You don't really love her, do you" said Ethan sadly. "If you did then you would kiss her"

"I do love her" I said but it fell upon deaf ears.

He looked like he was going to cry again, so I hurriedly said, "Don't worry. The first thing I'll do when Bella comes home is to kiss her. Then you'll see that I really do love her."

"Promise?" asked Ethan, his eyes lighting up.

"I promise." I replied.

_What had I gotten myself into?_

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**How did you all like this chapter? Worth the wait, or are you mad with me for taking so long?**

**Review! **


	13. Trouble At Work

**Disclaimer: I don not own Twilight. I only own this story's plot.**

**Author's note: You may have noticed that I have named my chapters. **

**Also, I am sorry for the late update. I rewrote this chapter three times to get it to it's present state.**

** I had so many ideas, and was a generally confused person!**

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**BPOV**

"This is Mr. Cullen's office. You are speaking to Bella Swan. How may I help you?" I said into the phone, stifling my yawn.

"I'm Samantha Walters. I recently purchased a house with your company's help." said the person on the line, sounding very upset.

"Is there something wrong?" I asked, concerned.

"My accountant was going through my papers to do my taxes, and he said that my housing papers had been partially forged. Apparently, in the eyes of the law, I am not the owner of the house. What am I supposed to make of this? Did I have an illegal transaction with Cullen Enterprises? I always though you were a company to be trusted, but I guess I was wrong" she fumed.

"I'm very sorry Ma'am. Let me transfer you to Customer Care so that you can officially lodge a complaint. I assure you I will personally see to it that your problem is sorted out." I guaranteed, before pressing the call transfer button on my phone.

Once the person at Customer Care picked the phone up, I hung up, and sighed. There was something seriously wrong going on. Cullen Enterprises had always had a spotless reputation but that wouldn't last at this rate. This was the third such complaint I had received today.

I was very worried, and suspected an inside hand in the dirty dealings going on. Cullen Enterprises was very dear to me, and I would do anything in my power to keep up the respected status of the company. I dialed out Mr. Cullen's mobile number.

"Hello. Richard Cullen here."

"Sir, this is Bella" I said.

"Yes Bella? Is there something wrong?" he asked

"I'm not too sure sir. There seem to have been a lot of murky dealing lately. Customer Care tells me that we've been flooded with complaints this past week. I've received three calls today from our buyers, who all complained to me about forged ownership papers."

"I suspected as much" Mr. Cullen muttered gravely. "Bella, I want you to go into my office, and shut the door. Only then must you resume this conversation. I don't want anyone in the office over hearing our conversation"

Mr. Cullen's word of caution was not without reason. Our office staff had a reputation for spreading gossip, and something as juicy as talk of allegedly forged papers would go around the office in no time.

I took out Mr. Cullen's spare keys from my drawer and went into his room. I locked it before continuing my conversation.

"What do you think is going on, sir?" I asked.

"I'm not entirely sure myself, Bella" he said. "All I can say is I'm pretty sure it has something to do with Mike. I knew that fellow was a bad one the moment I laid my eyes on him"

Mike. Mike Newton. He was the son of Mr. Cullen's close friend Ian Newton. He had given Ian's son a job here as a favor, but it looked like he would dearly regret his decision. Mike was in control of the legal aspect of the company so he was perfectly placed to pull of something like this.

"Maybe we should give him the benefit of doubt sir." I said. After all Mike's father was not only Mr. Cullen's friend, but also an investor in the company.

"What do you think I took this trip for?" Mr. Cullen asked suddenly.

"I don't know sir' I said, confused. "Wasn't it to get some business deal?" Mr. Cullen had given me the impression that he was going to San Francisco for a week to meet with some new clients.

"Actually, you're wrong." he said. "I only pretended to go to San Francisco, so that I could let Mike handle the business for a few days. There have been some dirty dealings going on ever since he joined our company, and I left him in charge just to confirm my suspicions that he's the one responsible for them."

Things suddenly seemed to make sense now. That's why Mr. Cullen was very evasive when I had questioned him the week before about why he was taking the trip, so that I could prepare his weekly schedule.

"Why did you not tell me this, sir?" I asked. I was frankly a bit hurt that I had not been included in the plan.

"That was actually on the insistence of my lawyer. He says that everyone in the office is a suspect, so it was important that I didn't reveal my plans to anyone. That's why I let you take off for a week. Now you are officially no longer a suspect, because the dealings continued in your absence."

"Good to know, sir" I laughed.

"I'm actually in Manhattan right now. I never did leave New York." he said. "I just made that trip up to give Mike the belief that no one was watching him, and that he could do whatever he liked."

"Nice plan sir!" I said.

"Actually, I take no credit for it. It was entirely my lawyer's idea."

"So, when are you planning to expose Mike?" I asked.

"I was planning to keep the whole thing under wraps, and away from the public eye, for Ian's sake. He has nothing to do with this, and I don't want his name to be tarnished thanks to his good for nothing son."

"That's very nice of you sir" I said, fully meaning it. I doubt I would have acted so big heartedly, had I been in the same position.

"Bella, I would give you the rest of the day of, but I need someone I can trust in the office."

"I understand sir" I said. I wished him a good day, before hanging up. I exited Mr. Cullen's office quietly, but to my misfortune, Mike saw me. I had been avoiding him the whole day, because he had an annoying habit of constantly hitting on me.

Yet another item to add to the list of reasons why I dislike him!

Sure enough, when he came closer to me, he whispered in what he must have thought was a seductive voice, "Hey baby! Your place or mine?"

"Neither" I said, irritated with his stupidity. Couldn't he take a hint, and stop bothering me?

"Why not?" he purred. "I know you want me, baby." He briefly felt me up, and I found it impossible to repress my shudder of disgust. Mike, being Mike however, misinterpreted my reaction entirely.

"I'm turning you on, aren't I?" he said. Oh, Mike! Just the opposite!

"Maybe you should just go fuck yourself" I hissed.

"Why would I do that when you could do it for me" he said, smirking, and that just pushed me over the edge. I slapped him hard across his face and said, "Leave me alone. Got that?"

He nodded, having the good sense to look embarrassed, and went back to his cabin. Thankfully no one witnessed that little scene. Mike just generally asked me out, but was never this vulgar. I guess being in control had really gotten to his head. Shaking my head, I went back to my desk, and prepared myself for a busy as hell day.

My cell phone began to ring. It took me a little while to find it, and when I did, I the caller identification flashed Alice's name.

"Hi Alice!" I said.

"Hey Bells. I'm bored. Entertain me please" she said.

I laughed, before saying "Sorry Alice, but I'm at work right now, so I can't talk much. Why don't you call Edward? He's at home with Ethan."

"How come Ethan isn't at school?" she asked, a little surprised.

"He was feeling sick this morning, so the doctor volunteered to baby sit!" I remarked

"Aww! That's adorable!" she gushed.

"So, are you all set for your big day?" I asked, remembering her date with Jasper.

For a moment she was silent, before saying "Yep! I can't wait!"

Something was going on, but I wasn't in the mood to find out. My office phone began ringing, so I hung up on Alice, and took the call.

I had a feeling this was going to be a long day. "This is Mr. Cullen's office. You are speaking to Bella Swan. How may I help you?" I said into the phone, stifling a yawn for the second time today.

**Ethan POV**

"Ethan, I want to have an agreement with you" Daddy said.

"Okay"

"I'll kiss mommy when she gets home, if you promise to go to your room after that so daddy can talk to her alone. She'll be home late, and you need your sleep. Deal?"

"Deal"

I couldn't wait for Mommy to get home!

**BPOV**

Finally! The time on my computer read 7:30 which meant that it was time for me to clock out. I shoved all my papers together, stuffed them in my drawer, and locked it, before clocking out and practically running out of the office. The atmosphere in there had been driving me crazy, and I was desperate to go home. There were all sorts of rumors going on about Cullen Enterprises' imminent down fall triggered by the many complaints we had received today, and I just couldn't handle all the malicious gossip.

I had to wait for nearly fifteen minutes before a cab came my way. In the beautiful city of New York, it is an unwritten rule that the only time you find a cab is when you don't need one. I got in and heaved a sigh. I was mentally worn out, because I had done a week's worth of work today.

I couldn't wait to go home and relax…

The cab finally pulled up in front of Alice's apartment. I paid the cabbie, and unlocked the front door. Shutting the door behind me, I looked for my two favorite boys. Both Ethan and Edward were sitting on the couch, apparently waiting for me. They were seated identically, and looked so much alike.

The difference was, however, in their expressions. While Ethan wore a look of eager anticipation and slight drowsiness, Edward looked somewhere between resolute and frightened. Before I could ask either of them what was going on, Edward strode up to where I was standing.

_He looked at me for a second, cupped my cheek in his hand, and kissed me!!_

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**And finally! They kiss! applause .**

**Do review!**


	14. The Kiss

**Author's Note: Finally got this chapter up. It's a bit short, but I think the content makes up for it.**

**I thought of going with an APOV this chapter, and prolong the cliff hanger, but what can I say? Even I'm not that evil!**

**Hope you enjoy it!**

**Oh, and read the A/N at the end of the story. I've got some news for you!**

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_He looked at me for a second, cupped my cheek in his hand, and kissed me!!_

Well, kiss was an overstatement. It was actually it was more of a peck. Our lips met chastely, and as suddenly as he had kissed me, he pulled away.

It took me a minute to form any coherent thoughts. I just stood there, opening and shutting my mouth like a fish, trying to say something. Edward had made no move to say anything either. He just stood there, gauging my reaction.

Finally I managed a hoarsely whispered, "What was that?"

Instead of answering my question, Edward looked over my shoulder, and winked at Ethan. Before I could ask either of them what in the world was going on, Ethan gave Edward a 'thumbs up' sign, and scampered away. He ran to his room and shut the door. Edward just grinned, as if everything was going according to some plan.

By now, my brain which was turned into mush just a few seconds ago, had regained its ability to function normally.

"Okay, what was that for" I asked once more, my voice stronger this time. "You can't just kiss me like that and….mumphhh". Edward had clamped his hand over my mouth midsentence, leaving me struggling to break free.

"Let me explain, Bella' he began calmly. He let go of me, and I tapped my foot impatiently, waiting for him to continue.

"Why don't you sit down first?' he offered. "You must be tired after work"

Once we were both comfortably seated on the couch, he began talking about his day with Ethan. Not quite the romantic confession I was hoping for, but I would take what I got. When he told me about their 'agreement', it left me gaping open mouthed.

And here I had thought that he had kissed me because he had feelings for me! I knew I shouldn't have gotten my hopes up, but it's hard to think rationally when you were being kissed. I knew it was time for me to face the truth. He didn't care about me. He didn't love me. The only thing keeping him here was Ethan. I tried my best to hold my tears back, but I just couldn't. They fell softly in a steady stream, and Edward looked completely horrified.

"Bella, what's wrong?" he asked concerned.

"Nothing" I choked out. "I just need to be alone right now".

I began walking away, but Edward arms snaked around my waist, preventing me from moving any further.

"Bella, you can tell me anything. You know that, right? I'll always be here for you" he said.

"Really Edward, its nothing. Just stressed from work, I guess" I lied, trying to pull away from his grip.

"You don't expect me to believe that, do you Bella?" he asked softly.

Maybe it was the assuming tone his voice took. Maybe it was the tension from work. Maybe I was just going insane from being so lonely. Whatever it was, I finally cracked.

"You say you'll always be there for me. That's not true" I whispered. "You won't always be there for me. You'll always be there for Ethan. Much as I'm glad you're being a good father, I can't take this anymore. I want you to care about me too, not just about Ethan. I know that the only reason you're here is because you feel guilty that you haven't been there for your son. But I don't want you to feel obligated to stay here. I want you to stay here because you enjoy my company."

I stopped for a second to look at Edwards face. He looked like he wanted to say something, but he remained silent. I took that as a sign to continue.

"You say I can tell you anything. That's not true either. I can't tell you what I'm thinking about, because you won't like what you hear."

Edward looked hurt, and I felt horrible for saying what I had said, but I knew that it was the right choice to make. If I had continued to keep my emotions bottled up, I would have gone mad. "My offer still stands, Bella" he said finally. "I'm ready to listen to anything you might have to say to me."

"Okay what about this? I love you." I spat out.

Edward looked shocked. "What?" he whispered.

I laughed bitterly. "See? I knew you wouldn't be able to handle it." I said. "But since I've already said it, there's no harm in saying it again. I love you. I never stopped. It hurt so much to see you again, and not be able to touch you, to kiss you. I knew you had moved on, so who was I to demand that you care for me? And every time I see you with Ethan, it breaks my heart. You're such a good father, and I wish I had given you a choice when I knew I was pregnant. We could have been such a happy family.

I tried to move on; I tried to forget you Edward. Really, I did try. But I was never quite able to stop thinking about you. I never dated a single man in all that tine. I told myself that it was for Ethan's sake that I didn't see any one else, but now that I think about I realize it's because I loved you for all those years. Seeing you again just confirmed it. All I wanted was for you to love me too, to care about me even half as much as I care about you. Guess we all don't get what we want, huh?"

The tears had stopped flowing, and for some strange reason I felt great relief for getting all that off my chest. Edward looked as if I had slapped him, but there was a sudden change of expression toward the end of my little speech. A look of strong determination flashed in his eyes.

And that's when he _really _kissed me. It wasn't a peck like before, but a full blown, tongue battling, breath taking, mind boggling kiss. I couldn't help but respond. We sat there, devouring each other hungrily. His tongue begged for entrance, which I granted. I moaned softly and nibbled on his lip. This earned a deep groan from him, turning me on like nothing else could. As our tongues danced away, a tiny part of my brain reminded me that he said anything to my confession. This time, I was the one to pull away.

"Edward, don't distract me" I reprimanded. "I want to hear you say it. Do you have feelings for me or not? I can't go on like this anymore, not knowing what you think of me."

"Bella" Edward breathed. "I'm disappointed. I thought the meaning of that kiss was quite clear. I love you. I never stopped either. And I want this to work more than anything"

I was so overjoyed, I could hardly speak. But who needs to speak when you can kiss? And that's exactly what I did. Pulling him down by his collar, we began round two of our steamy make out session.

Our feelings had been hidden so long. We released all our pent up frustration into that one kiss, because this time we were both ready for it. When we finally came up for air, Edward stared at me, while playing with my hair. Though New York fashion was short, chic hair, I had never cut mine. Edward had always loved my waist length hair, and somehow it had never felt right to chop it off.

He kissed me once more, but this one didn't display the passion the previous kiss had. It was more tender and, dare I say it, loving. He held me like he never wanted to let me go, and I clung onto him desperately.

"My beautiful Bella" he said quietly. "I'm so glad I can finally call you mine."

"I was always yours" I replied, causing him to smile, and (you guessed it!) kiss me once more. He held me tight, and we just sat there, satisfied to be in each other's arms.

This would have been a highly romantic moment, if Alice hadn't chosen to come home at that exact time. We automatically jumped apart at the sound of the keys, but we weren't quick enough. Alice spied our intimate embrace, and sighed. "Finally." she said. "I thought you two idiots were never going to fess up. Anyway once you're done being all lovey dovey, can we have dinner? I'm starving!"

Before either of us could respond, Ethan bounded out of his room. He hugged her, before saying excitedly, "Your plan worked, Aunty Alice!"

"Shh!" Alice hissed, but it was of no avail. We had already heard Ethan.

"What plan?" Edward asked curiously.

Alice and Ethan simultaneously put on their sheepish puppy dog looks.

_What was going on?_

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**THEY KISS! Oh my gosh!**

**Yes readers, finally after toturing you all for so long, Edward and Bella finally confess. But what's all this about Alice's plan?**

**Review, and tell me what you think.**

**NOTE: I just wanted to say that I have started another story. It was an idea that was just in my head, and refusing to shut up, so I put it up!**

**It's called 'Drunk In Vegas', you might want to check it out and tell me what you think. Updates will continue simultaneously for both stories.**

**Also, I've now officially registered myself to be a Beta Reader!! If any of you need any betaing done, check out my Beta Profile!**


	15. The Plan

**Author's note: (!!PLEASE READ!!)**

**I have a lot of things I want to say to you all. This is gonna be a loooong note, so please bear with me!**

**Firstly, I would like to tell you that Runaway is coming to an end. A few more chapters, and we're done.**

**I thought about stretching it on a little further, but then I realized that there would be no point. The central characters in the story are Bella and Edward, and once they get together, what purpo****se does dragging it on and on serve?**

**For those of you who are screaming "What about Mike? Does Alice's family business survive? And what about Alice and Jasper?" , this brings me to my second piece of news. I am considering writing a sequel tp Runaway, focusing on Alice and Jasper! Those of you who want me to do this, please tell me.**

**Thirdly, I plan on finishing Runaway by the next month. The month after that, I'll edit the story one last time, correct any spelling/grammar bloopers and discrepancies. I'll probably add a bonus chapter or two in the middle of the story to up the drama quotient. A few people have told me that I desperately need more drama in my story.**

**Fourthly, would really, really need to apologize to you all. I have behaved rather unprofesionally with this story, what with my irregular updates and constant editing. Also I hardly reply to reviews, so I would like to thank all my reviewers now. THANK YOU so much!! I realized from the dwindiling hits and reviews that a lot of people must have got fed up with me and my erratic ways. I will take a one month break after I finish editing Runaway fully. If you are all still willing to bear with me, and want me to publish a sequel, I promise that the sequel will have weekly (or once in 10 days) updates, instead of irregular ones, and editing will be done only after the story's completed**

**All Drunk In Vegas readers, I will have a chapter up soon, but my focus will be on Runaway till it is completed. I hope you all understand.  
**

**Thnk you all, for reading this and supporting my crazy ventures! It means so much to me.**

**-**

**Now, onto the story!**

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**The Plan**

BPOV

"_Your plan worked, Aunty Alice!"_

"_Shh!" Alice hissed, but it was of no avail. We had already heard Ethan._

"_What plan?" Edward asked curiously._

_Alice and Ethan simultaneously put on their sheepish puppy dog looks._

_What was going on?_

When either Ethan or Alice act innocent, and try to put on a cute expression, you know that something fishy is going on. But when they both do it together, you can only assume that it's something _really_ extreme. Alice and Ethan working together always means big trouble.

"Ethan, Alice" I said warningly. "Would either of you care to explain what is going on?"

Ethan refused to even look at me. I guess he was scared that I'd be upset with him. Well, his fear was probably justified. From the looks of this, this conversation would probably end with me being very angry.

"Fine!" Alice sighed. "I'll tell you. You'll probably be mad with me, but whatever. At least hear me out before you begin yelling at me."

She knew me too well. I was quick to jump to conclusions, so I vowed to try and be patient and listen to what Alice had to say.

"This totally isn't my fault." Ethan was quick to insert, before Alice continued any further. She wrapped an arm around Ethan, as if to shield him from my impending fury.

"Ethan's right" agreed Alice. "None of this was his fault, so you can't punish him in any way. It was all my idea. But although I take blame for it, I also take credit for its success."

"What the hell are you rambling on about, Alice" I couldn't help edgily asking. Edward rubbed soothing circles onto the back of my palm to calm me down. I leant, almost unconsciously, into his body, welcoming his touch. The gesture was not missed by Alice.

"That is exactly what I am talking about" she said, pointing to the area where Edward's skin had made contact with mine. "You two utterly oblivious idiots. You would have never gotten back together if it hadn't been for my meddling."

What? How did Edward and I have anything to do with this? What had Alice done?

"And how exactly did you meddle?" I asked my voice dangerously even.

She looked like she was about to answer, but then her eyes met mine. She shuddered at the glare I was shooting in her general direction, and quick changed her strategy.

"Too hungry too talk" moaned Alice, clutching her stomach. "Let's continue this discussion later". Yeah right! The pixie would win the 'Most Talkative Person on the Planet Award' hands down. She was just buying time.

"Just tell us, Alice. We won't be mad with you" assured Edward softly. Speak for yourself mister! I will most certainly be mad, because by the look on Alice's face she's obviously done something drastic.

"Maybe I had Ethan pretend he was sick, and maybe I had something to do with Ethan's sudden demand for you two to kiss." she mumbled looking down at the floor. She was trying to act like she was sorry, but I could see that it was very hard for her not to burst out laughing. However, Ethan looked like he feared for his life. Good.

I turned to look at Edward's face. I wanted to see what his reaction would be. To my great astonishment he seemed more amused than anything. "How did you manage all that?" he asked chuckling. Great! Was I the only one mad here?

Ethan relaxed visibly, and Alice seemed to be relieved that at least one of us was finding this funny. She bent down, and whispered something in Ethan's ear. He ran off, and was back moments later clutching two hot water bags.

"Exhibit A" she announced proudly. I glared at her, but she stuck her tongue out at me. Now that Edward was on her side, she stopped pretending to be scared of me. Traitor!

"I knew dad was asking you to come to work, because I read your text message. I realized that today would be the perfect day to carry my plan out. I had woken Ethan up before going to work. He had sufficient time to put the hot water bags on his forehead, and take them off when he heard you coming. He hid the bags under his sheets, so his whole body generally felt hot and feverish. We knew that you would rush off to tell Edward, our resident doctor, that something was wrong. Ethan used this time to hide the hot water bags under his bed, so neither of you would notice when you checked him up for real."

She paused for breath before continuing. "He pretended to have the general symptoms of the flu so that he could stay home alone with Edward. I knew that Edward would be a lot easier for Ethan to bargain with than Bella, because he was eager to please Ethan and make a good impression on him. I called Edward up, and Ethan was told by me in advance to listen to Edward's part of the conversation. When the part cam where I goaded Edward into admitting he loved Bella, all Ethan had to do was challenge Edward's love. I left that part to Ethan's imagination, but I'm guessing he did a good job, because you to are certainly getting along fine."

She said the last part looking at me and Edward. She got the result she was hoping for when I blushed profusely.

The room was soundless for a minute. No one spoke; we were just letting what we had heard sink in fully. Everyone looked at me anxiously, waiting for my inevitable outburst. I finally broke the silence.

"I have just one thing to say to both of you."

Ethan and Alice waited for me to continue, preparing themselves for the yelling they were sure they'd receive. Instead I surprised them.

'Thank you. Thank you so much. It's probably because of your efforts that Edward and I are back together, and know of each other's feelings. Just one thing though. Don't ever sneak around behind our backs like that again."

"Hey! I'm an adult, here" said Alice. "I can sneak around if I want to."

Insert glare here.

"I mean," she quickly amended, "It was wrong of me to make Ethan lie, and I won't ever do it again."

Alice's phone started to vibrate. She read the message she had received, and started towards the door once again. "Go to go, Bella" she said, apologetically. 'I'm getting late for my date."

"I thought you said you wanted dinner" I asked.

"Not really, I was just buying time. I've to go now, or I'll be late. See you!" she said hurriedly, rushing through the door and slamming it behind her.

And then it was just the three of us. And for the first time, we truly had dinner like a family. For one, the father, mother and child were present. Also, there was no uncomfortable silence, or awkward moments; we were at complete ease with each other for the first time.

Cheerful banter filled the air, and we argued over the stupidest of things including whether Batman (picked by Edward) or Superman (picked by Ethan) would win in a fight. Whom did I pick? I was all in favor of Wonder woman kicking both their butts! It was as if we were making up all that we had missed out these past few years in one night.

However immature it might sound, I did hold Edward's hand under the table for the entire meal. I think under the present circumstances, it was justified that we behaved like love struck teenagers.

And like hormone driven, love struck teenagers we did behave later that night. Once we had packed Ethan of to bed, Edward wasted no time before kissing me again. We sat on the couch, furiously making out. Actually, Edward sat on the couch, and I sat on his lap. As Edward's tongue glided over my lip, I couldn't quite stop moaning softly.

For some reason, that caused Edward to stop kissing me. However, before I could protest I felt his lips brush my collarbone, and I moaned once more, louder this time. When this was followed by a flick of his tongue, I though I would die from the pleasure. I pulled Edward up, and our lips collided once more. My hands seem to work on their own accord, and swiftly unbuttoned Edward's shirt.

This caused Edward to freeze immediately. "Are you sure?" he breathed. "I don't want to rush things"

I stopped for a second to consider what he was saying. Perhaps he was right. Maybe we should take things slow. At least that was what the part of my brain which was still functioning told me, and mind you it was a very small part. The much larger part of my brain which seemed to have complete control over my body resumed kissing him.

I had been deprived of this for far too long. I was twenty three, and had had sex a grand total of three times. All more than five years ago. I deserved some fun too didn't I? I didn't care how flawed this logic was, all I knew was I desperately needed Edward.

As I slipped his shirt off, and let my hands roam over his glorious chest, he choked out, "Bedroom. Now!"

Needless to say our clothes were soon lying on the floor…

-

As I lay in Edward's arms later that night, after some fabulous sex, I realized that this is what I had needed all along. Someone to love me and care for me. And now that I had him, I was never going to let him go again.


	16. Epilogue

**A/N: Runaway finally comes to an end! I hope it was as great an experience reading this story as it was writing it. Look out for the upcoming chapter with sequel info and such.**

**It felt great to finally use the 'complete' tag on this story. Thank you all for your support. Couldn't have done it without you :)**

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Epilogue

6 months later

BPOV

I sat on the edge of my seat feeling extremely uncomfortable. My fingers stayed to the hem of my lovely white dress, nervously picking at the invisible lint on it, and smoothening out non existent creases. I constantly shifted my legs in an attempt to make myself feel more comfortable. My stomach felt funny, and I sipped on a glass of lemonade to ease its constant twisting. But the way I was acting was hardly strange. In fact, one would say it was perfectly normal behavior. After all, today would be the most important day in my life. Today was the day I was…

"Isabella Marie Soon-To-Be-Masen! If you do not stop fidgeting right now, you can do your makeup and hair all on your own. Let's see how well you manage then," yelled Alice into my ear making me lose my train my thought. "It's hard enough to get this look to work perfectly, without you making it any more difficult. So, for the sake of all that is good in the world, stop your damn moving about!"

In my defense I did glare at her. What was I to do when she glared right back, intensity tenfold? I did what any other normal human being in my position would have done. I suitably cowered under her gaze and looked at Rosalie for support. "Rose" I whined. "Tell Alice that I have every right to be a nervous wreck right now."

"Alice, stop bullying Bella" said Rose mechanically, in response to which Alice (being the mature adult she is) stuck her tongue out. "And I don't see why you're so jittery, Bella" reasoned Rose. "You're getting married today! This should be the best day of your life. Just let loose, and I'm sure everything will go great."

Yes. You did in fact read that correctly. I was getting married to Edward. Of course, I had thought this would happen years ago, but he was well worth the wait. Ethan will finally have a real father, and Edward will be mine officially. We would be a 'true' family at long last. Though I knew marriage was just a formality, it felt wonderful to know that in just a little while, we would legally belong to one another.

But the perfectness which lay in the near future was what worried me. What if things didn't work out? What if Edward decided he wasn't ready for this? What if…? My forehead unconsciously creased into a frown, and a tear escaped my eye. Alice looked at me, concerned.

"You're worrying again, aren't you Bella" she chastised, but her expression softened. "You deserve a happy ending, just as much as any one else out there, maybe even more after all you've been through. You're an amazing mom to Ethan, and an awesome person, and I'm sure you'll make a great wife. Edward is really lucky to have found someone like you".

This prompted a fresh onslaught of tears. Alice looked completely distressed, though I'm not sure if it was because she thought I was upset, or because I was ruining her carefully applied makeup.

"Now look what you've done, Alice" scolded Rose. "You've made her cry."

"I'm sorry Bella.' Alice said quickly. "Don't cry. I didn't mean to upset you."

"Don't apologize" replied. "I'm not crying because I was offended, you silly girl! I was really touched by what you said, and it means a lot to me."

Alice looked visibly relieved. "Group hug!" she said and the two of them enveloped me in a giant bear hug. Okay, so Alice is physically incapable of 'enveloping' anyone in a group hug but I'm just trying to make a point here. When they pulled back, Rose eyed my face critically.

"Thank god we thought of using waterproof makeup" she said, relieved. "Now we only have to touch you up, and you'll be perfect!" As Alice began redoing parts of my face, Rosalie added the finishing touches to my hair.

I looked at the spread of cosmetics and hair products before me, and I would be lying if I said I wasn't thoroughly intimidated. There were creams and powders for each part of my face, and dozens of types of brushes for my hair. If it were up to me, I would have been completely satisfied walking down the aisle with no make up, and my hair in a pony tail, but Alice didn't work that way.

Three years ago, we were having a random conversation about how Rose was lucky to be married, and have someone who loved her so much. Alice suddenly grew serious and made me promise that in the event I ever got married, she would be my maid of honor, and would be allowed to take complete charge of the wedding planning, and dressing me up. Of course, I hadn't thought I would ever get married, so I agreed to please her. Funny how things work out!

She had never forgotten my promise, and when Edward proposed to me, she jumped at the thought of getting to plan my entire wedding. I was only to pleased to let her take charge, because she thrived in the stress caused by major events, whereas I inevitably went totally crazy trying to plan even a simple birthday party.

Alice had insisted on designing my bridal gown, and she had done a marvelous job. The wedding had a classic theme, and my dress matched perfectly with its classy, clean cut lines. The design was simple, with a strapless cut and a long flowing bottom, but the effect it produced was amazing. I felt like a princess (childish as that might sound) in my gown and for the first time in my life I felt elegant instead of clumsy. Of course, the fact that Alice had allowed to me to wear flats helped the elegance factor considerably.

All of a sudden, the butterflies in my stomach were back, and I was nervous for no apparent reason all over again. Well the fact that I was the bride and that I was getting married to a freaking Greek god should on its own be reason enough for me to be edgy. I breathed in and out slowly, hoping that Alice and Rosalie didn't notice anything, not wanting to worry them.

To ease my nerves I tried thinking about Ethan and Edward, my two favourite people in the world. I thought about our new house, the one we had recently moved into after Edward and I had decided that it was unfair to impose upon Alice any longer. Though she had nearly fallen on her knees, begging us to stay, I wanted to be independent, and not rely upon her any longer. She had been a great friend to me, and helped me when I was in need, but that didn't mean I could take advantage of her generosity.

Money was no longer a constraint, with Edward's ridiculous pay check. We began a college trust for Ethan together, and I was so happy that Ethan could finally get the secure future he deserved. Edward had spoiled both of us rotten, constantly surprising me with thoughtful presents, and gifting Ethan the latest toys, and kid crazes.

My favourite image of all to focus upon, and help me calm down was Ethan, Edward and I standing together, as a family. A real family was something I had always craved for and I could finally, officially have one today.

"Bella?" said Alice, waving her hand before my eyes. "What're you thinking about? You suddenly started grinning like crazy ten seconds back."

"Huh?" I replied, dazed. "Grinning? Oh, I'm just very happy, that's all."

"You are so weird Bella! Anyway, as long as you're happy…"

She stopped midsentence because of a knocking on the door. Rose went to see who it was, and I strained to hear what she was saying to the person on the other side,

"…not good luck to see the bride before the wedding. Get out!" I discerned. I heard a muffled reply to the voice, but immediately knew who it was. No one else had that deep a voice. It was…Emmett!!

It could have never been Edward. He was far too traditional to as much as think at glancing at his bride before the actual wedding.

"…but Rose" he whined, still not having been allowed into the room. "I'm not even the groom. I'm totally allowed to look at blushing Bella!"

Cue furious blushing. Damn my peripheral capillaries! I was going to be a living cliché – the blushing bride. How marvelous.

"Anyway, I just came here to say that Bella needs to be down in five." I heard the door slamming, and Rose muttering "Stupid Emmett."

Shit. If I had heard right, he had just said I needed to be down in five. As in five minutes. Unless it meant five hours, which was totally fine by me. I began to hyperventilate, as I imagined every possible way this wedding could go wrong. And I mean every possible way. Including individual scenarios with crazed monkeys, a boy on a skateboard and banana milkshake. And a situation with all of them combined. Holy crap! I wasn't ready for this!

"Bella, calm down" said Alice, handing me my shoes, and adjusting my train. "You look beautiful, don't worry" added Rose, as they literally pushed me out of the dressing room and into the wedding room.

Charlie was waiting for me outside, and he took my hand to lead me down the aisle. He had flown to New York for the wedding, and to 'spend some quality time with his family'. I was so glad he was here, because I could have never gone through this without his support. He looked like he was trying hard not to cry, and I smirked at the sight, momentarily forgetting my own nervousness. I faintly registered the bridal march being played, as I walked down the aisle, frustrated at its length. I looked down the entire walk, afraid that I would trip if I didn't.

All my wariness was washed away when I was handed over to Edward. I knew instinctively that everything was going to be okay.

He grinned at me, and I swear my heart jumped out of my chest. He looked gorgeous, even better than usual if that was possible. He had attempted to comb his messy bronze hair and the tuxedo he sported brought out his incredible handsomeness. Ethan was standing by his side, in a tux as well, and holding the box containing the ring. I gave them both a small smile, and held Edward's hand.

The rest of my wedding was a blur. I remember staring at Edward's brilliant green orbs, drawn to his eyes like a moth to fire. The pastor droned on, but I didn't listen to a word he said. All I could look at was Edward, and how gorgeous he looked in his suit.

I didn't even glance at the numerous wedding guests Alice had insisted upon inviting. In fact I barely registered when it was my turn to say 'I do', and squeaked out the words when the time did come. But I was much too happy to be embarrassed about trivial little things like how my voice sounded.

Ethan handed Edward the wedding ring, and he slid it upon my finger. I repeated his action with his wedding band, surprised at the part of me incredibly turned on at the prospect of Edward wearing the band always, and being publicly branded as mine.

Finally the six words that completed the wedding process were uttered.

"You may now kiss the bride"

As Edward's lips captured mine, I knew that any insecurity I might have had was unfounded. This was where I belonged, by Edward's side. Looking down at Ethan, who was smiling so widely, I though his cheeks might give way, I was quick to amend that statement.

This was where _we _belonged. Forever.

_I had runaway six years ago. I was finally home._

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** I decide to end Runaway earlier than planned, but I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. Sequel Info soon to be posted.**

**So, for the last time in this story, tell me what you think.**

**Review!**


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